Brink
by McMahonHelmsleyEraFan
Summary: A familiar, trouble-making face looks to strike a deal. A family that was recently mended is understandably wary, but curious. Ghosts from the past, sins of the present and uncertainty of the future collide in this sequel to "Borderline."
1. Chapter 1

Gotta say, not thrilled that this saga lives on, LOL. Whether or not I go through with this is totally dependent on how well it's received. So read, fave, follow, review and all that good stuff if ya'll want this one to continue!

The first part of the prologue takes place sometime between winter-spring 2009.

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><p>As he walked through the streets of New York, his mind wandered all over the place. It pained his pride to admit it, but he couldn't stop thinking about his twin brother. This was the kind of shit reserved for sappy romance novels. Not real life. Not over someone he – in all actuality – barely knew. But there it was. And here he was, totally confused, despite the several months that had passed since they'd last spoken to one another.<p>

Hah, that was putting the interaction mildly. They'd beaten the piss out of each other…and then finally Hunter had beaten the shit out of him. Warned him to stay away. A bristle of anger crept up Howard's back, threatening to blot everything else out.

What the fuck would his brother do, even, if Howard decided to return to Connecticut? He didn't own the fucking state, county or town he lived in. Hell, he didn't even own the damn block he lived on. If Howard chose to move right next door, there wasn't a single damn thing that Hunter could do about it.

Is this what sibling rivalry was supposed to feel like? Is this how they would have behaved had they grown up together? Cursing each other out, fighting, and trading barbed insults, envious of the other's accomplishments and life in general?

_No_, Howard decided immediately. There was no damn rivalry. That implied some sort of back and forth exchange on who was doing better. Hunter had won. He'd won every possible contest that mattered: money, success, fame, loving family, happiness.

Happiness? He hadn't meant to think that. Agitated, he reached up and ran a hand through his flowing, blonde locks then yanked his hood over his head. When he was out and about he often wore his hair down solely because it attracted such attention from females. They all noticed it, wanted to touch it – and soon, him. He could literally have a different woman every single night. And during some stretches of his life, that's basically what he'd done. Yet he still found himself…with a void. Or something. He was chasing, always had been and had no idea why. Wouldn't know what he was subconsciously pursuing even if it smacked him upside his head.

Happiness. The word echoed in his mind again. Probably because he so rarely used it. What was it, even? He had fun; he often enjoyed himself. Was often entertained. He often smiled.

Often avoided thinking about the past and future with great depth. Why? He wasn't even sure anymore.

Stuffing his hands into his sweatshirt pockets, he took a detour down a rather deserted street. It would get him home faster, but he rarely traveled this way because it was so…desolate, in comparison with the major streets. The few people that littered the streets were in varying states of decay and despair. Making beds and pillows out of newspapers, old clothing and in some cases, the ground itself. No one bothered to beg here, even their desperation had run out. They'd seemed to accept that this was their fate, the best they could do given their circumstances. He'd feel sorry for them if it wasn't for one factor: certainty.

These people were certain. Of their present and their future. He guessed that they long ago gave up on even the tiniest glimmer of hope coming to rescue them from this mess. Howard hadn't reached that point because he chose to live in the moment. He had no particular hope because he had no solid plan. And without a plan, there could be no certainty of its success or failure. He was in limbo. This homeless population was not. He felt himself envying that stability, awkward as it was.

Allowing himself to go back in time for just mere moments, Howard realized he hadn't had much stability. Parents that had given him up, for reasons unknown. An adopted set of parents; one that had abandoned him and the other that had placed unrealistic expectations on him to make up for her own failures. A revolving door of women and friends. He was the owner of a very small chain of gyms, sure. They all happened to be in run down areas such as these. Where the street the facility was on was okay, but three blocks over it was like stepping into a wasteland of despair. In truth, he had hardly paid personal attention to the other two gyms over the years – just hired competent managers and got on with it. Even that had become problematic and he struggled with his recent financial decisions so much so that he'd like to pretend the gyms didn't exist. The only reason he bothered coming to this particular location is because it wasn't far from home. Far enough to justify driving…but close enough that he could walk if he wanted the exercise or space to think.

Above, the street lights flickered once, twice. Not unusual, but tonight it brought him into a state of higher alertness.

He realized that he was not alone, just a half a second before severe pain in the back of his head blotted out everything else.

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><p>Summer 2009<p>

Instead of having the chosen thirteen for Hunter and Stephanie's project "Tough Enough" undergo their training in Stamford, Vince decided that he wanted it to be at their developmental territory in Ohio. When the training schedule was on the verge of being finalized, Vince ended his association with Ohio Valley Wrestling and instead switched to Florida Championship Wrestling.

Either way, the change from Stephanie and Hunter's original idea was annoying because it required more coordination and money spent on travel.

They'd somewhat seen it coming when Vince decided to handpick the individuals he wanted to serve as guest speakers, trainers and such. At the top of that list was Hunter. The day her husband left town coincided with the kids first official day of summer break. They'd already decided that during the break, Steph would only work mornings at the office. Steph's friend and ex-coworker, Lauren had a little sister who babysat to earn spending cash. With her freshman year in college over, she'd be coming home rather than taking summer courses. So of course they'd hopped on the opportunity to have Leah look after the kids while both parents worked.

As a result of the project, Hunter's work hours had certainly become less flexible since Vince also still had him actively scouting. During Stephanie's hiatus from work, he got home by four on most days. If he managed to make it earlier, they squeezed in some alone time before going to get their children. Once she returned to work they had made the easy decision for her to work half-days at the office when the kids didn't have practice for some sport. So far, everyone loved this new schedule and now that summer was here, she would leave work at lunch, on a daily basis.

It just royally sucked that on the first official day of summer vacation, Hunter had to travel to Florida to train and lecture the contestants, followed by observing the program from a production standpoint. They agreed that during his absence they would talk on the phone at least twice a day – in the morning and in the evening. Still, the reassurance of being able to talk to him daily was doing nothing to ease her longing.

After checking on their sleeping children one last time, Stephanie entered the kitchen, not at all surprised to see her husband helping himself to a bowl of strawberries. Hunter looked up and grinned sheepishly, holding out a strawberry to her. He was fond of the fruit, but it was Stephanie's very favorite and he knew he'd be playfully scolded for eating them all.

"Thank you," she told him with an unconvinced smile as she accepted the fruit. In no way did this gesture persuade her to believe that he wouldn't have eaten all the strawberries if she hadn't walked in. "I can see why some wives get excited when their husbands are gone: more food for them."

Hunter's face fell into an undeniably adorable pout. But she could tell he only halfway believed her words. "Well!" He began, in mock offense. "Maybe I should leave town tonight," he proposed. "Then you can have all the fruit to yourself."

When he moved as if he was going to leave the room, Stephanie quickly looped an arm through his and dragged him over to her. His amused hazel eyes watched her every movement as she ate the strawberry, teasingly. When she was finished with it, she cleared her throat, pretending that what just occurred wasn't in the least bit suggestive. "Don't you dare," she told him, in reference to leaving almost a full day earlier than scheduled. "I'm already not sure how I'm gonna handle it in the morning."

Hunter reached out and tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear, but allowed his hand to linger there. "My plane doesn't leave until three in the afternoon, Steph," he told her.

Stephanie sighed and covered his hand with hers. "I know."

"But?" He prompted.

"But when we head to the office in the morning, I won't see you again until you come back."

"We can take lunch together," he suggested. "That should leave me with just enough time to get to the airport."

Stephanie nodded in confirmation, but felt her heart sink, as well. At the reminder that she wasn't…considered emotionally fit enough to drop him off at the airport. She remembered her father's secretary's words; no doubt she'd been repeating Vince verbatim. That the shuttle to the airport was considered mandatory because otherwise they might never let each other go. And then the project would be compromised.

A small wave of irritation rose up out of the sadness. She swore every time he made improvement in his parenting, he took two steps backwards. There was nothing she could do to repay him for his advice on fixing her marriage last year. But still. That didn't give him the right to insinuate that she – who was just as much a part of this project as Hunter was – was incapable of setting her own feelings aside long enough to get her husband to the airport on time.

Sensing her change in attitude, Hunter actually chuckled a little bit. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and attempted to soothe her with, "Let it go, Stephanie."

Stephanie grumbled under breath, burying her head against his chest as his arms came around her. "He's just…such…" she struggled to find the words that accurately described her father, more often than not. "He's a…shit. A jerk. An asshole."

"A shit jerk asshole?" Hunter questioned with another chuckle. "That's a new one."

"I'm serious. I mean he's denying me the opportunity to spend more time with you before you leave me for a week. And he's doing it basically by saying I'm an emotional basket case that will hang on to your leg as soon as you get out of the car and make you miss your flight."

Hunter knew she wouldn't do that. Hell, _she _knew she wouldn't do that. So he saw no reason to tell her so. "Steph, this could be directed at both of us."

She pulled back to look at his face. "Huh?" She asked, clearly puzzled.

"What makes you think I want to be away from you any more than you want to be away from me?"

Good question. She had no answer. Just figured that the majority of her dad's work directives that affected them both were mainly aimed at her. Hunter hadn't been happy about it when she told him of the little stipulation. He'd just been handling it better than she had. Perhaps she was blinded by the fact that it felt she was being punished by her father. "Oh," she said aloud.

"Mmhmm," he murmured as he watched the realizations dawn on her. "I'm not a fan of having to let you go," he told her, bringing her attention back to the verbalized fear the secretary had made.

Stephanie shook her head. "I won't let you. Ever," she said, taking the conversation in a metaphorical, rather than literal direction.

Everything about what happened next was sweet. Their lips and tongues melding together, the taste of fruit winding in between the kisses. Hunter's hands settling under her shirt to rest on her lower back. Not urgent, forceful or demanding – just rubbing softly. Stephanie's hands caressing his stubbly cheeks, encouraging their current pace. They'd moved around, without breaking their kiss, in attempt to find a surface. The kitchen counter had probably been the closest, but the dizzying effects of the embrace had disoriented them both. The next thing they knew, they'd bumped into a chair. They pulled their lips apart, giggling like a couple of idiots.

Hunter sat down first, his hands settling on his wife's hips as she plopped down into his lap. He received feather-light kisses to his lips, cheeks, jaw, neck and collarbone while she steadily worked at freeing his hair from its band. Once or twice he'd considered cutting it, but Stephanie somehow managed to amuse, comfort or arouse herself even more when she was able to thread her hands through it. A lingering kiss to his lips snapped him out of his thoughts.

When she pulled away, she simply looked at him, almost nervously, for a few seconds. "I love you, Hunter."

He smiled so hard and wide that he momentarily feared it may be mistaken for a grimace. But he honestly just loved it when Stephanie took time to think about the depths of her feelings, allowing herself to become so vulnerable right before she verbalized them to him. A lot of people threw the word love around so casually that it was almost akin to a hello. It was said without thinking, just automatic, part of the routine of life. And while those were fine in Stephanie's case – because he now had no doubt that she loved him – it was in these contemplative moments of hers that the spoken affection meant the most to him.

"I know," he reassured her. "I love you, too."


	2. Hands Tied

Stephanie sat cross-legged on her bed, gaping at her laptop screen in disbelief. "You actually said that to the contestants?" She asked, referring to the harsh and vulgar nature with which he'd lectured them on the business.

Hunter nodded and not even a ghost of a smile appeared. "Damn right I did. It's the truth, Steph. I mean I've been sitting around for several days, watching all these live feeds and footage, seeing the ones who clearly aren't cut out for the business or just don't have the passion for it. Figure I may as well give it to 'em straight."

"I agree with you, actually. I'm just surprised you didn't play things a bit more PC."

"I can admit I was getting annoyed by the ones that really don't deserve the opportunity. I bet they beat out people who were more passionate, that maybe lacked a certain look or charisma the auditors were going for. We'll never really know. But I was also in a pisser of a mood and glad to be able to channel it someplace useful."

Even through a computer, Stephanie didn't miss the mischievous glint in Hunter's brown eyes. She chuckled a bit and said, "Believe me I'm not complaining. I much prefer to speak to the calm, sweet, funny version of my husband as opposed to the one who curses out over a dozen teenage strangers."

In his defense, Hunter corrected, "Most of them are in their twenties...quit making me feel bad," he commented with a frown.

Waving a dismissive hand she amended with, "Oh stop, you know I'm just teasing you."

"Distracting me," he corrected.

"I'm distracting both of us from the situation, yes," she agreed without hesitation.

Hunter sighed and pushed wayward strands of hair from his face. "I don't know how some of the boys can do this for weeks and months at a time."

Stephanie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion briefly. "Which part exactly?"

Hunter shrugged and said simply, "Be away from their wives or girlfriends. Their kids. I mean it wasn't that long ago that I was still traveling with the company often. I've seen how happy some dudes are to hit an overseas tour for a month or whatever. Or how miserable they are when it's time to actually go home. They act like it's a damn vacation to get punched, choked, slammed around, have their heads bashed in, bleeding fucking everywhere and all that, in comparison to being with family."

A sad smile formed on Stephanie's lips. Today, Hunter had received word that he'd be needed in Florida for another week. There was a steadily rotating schedule of trainers and production staff, to avoid burnout. Unfortunately, as the next wave was preparing the general outline for what they wanted to do, they'd all managed to catch a bug of some sort. So it wasn't just Hunter that was being inconvenienced – there were a good four or five other guys that had been strongly advised to stay on just a little bit longer.

For Hunter, that "little bit" was actually quite a lot. His kids weren't happy, Stephanie wasn't happy and he damn sure wasn't happy about this. But there wasn't a whole lot any of them could do except try to make the best of it. Vince had spoken to both of them personally and explained his position; he actually didn't call on Hunter and Stephanie as much as he honestly should, solely because they were family and had his grandchildren to look after. They both did a lot for the company, but still noticeably less where it concerned time-consuming projects and events that required travel. The board considered the couple to be relatively invaluable assets to the company and wanted the pair of them involved much more. Really, Vince's hands had been tied unless he appealed to the executives on a personal level.

Personal and business did not look well when you mixed them together…so when this rather large hiccup occurred with the next team, everyone had to be treated the same. And once he explained this to his daughter and son-in-law they completely understood. They just still weren't happy about being separated for longer than was originally planned.

"Well…" Stephanie trailed off. "You might have just answered your own question. Maybe they have little terrors for children and fire-breathing dragons for significant others?" She suggested.

Hunter laughed at her rather colorful descriptions. "That imagination of yours," he commented with a shake of his head. "But you could be right. I can't see why anyone who's actually happy with their relationship would be so ecstatic to be away for an extended period."

"What about you, huh? Are you ecstatic?"

"I am," he admitted, smiling at her confused pout. "I'm ecstatic that it's after midnight. Another day gone means I'm that much closer to coming home. And I'm ecstatic that modern tech lets me hear your voice and see your gorgeous face while I'm away."

Stephanie bit down on her lip and glanced away quickly, although the dimples in her cheeks betrayed the fact that she was smiling.

"A face that is now blushing," Hunter added with a cackle.

"This is completely your fault," she told him, pointing a stern finger at his image on the screen.

"Me?" He asked, a little too innocently.

"Yes. I swear I've blushed more since being married to you, than I did during my entire two-plus decades of life before you."

"The blushing is cute, Steph. So you're welcome!"

"Just you wait until I see you, mister…" she warned vaguely.

"You'll what?" He challenged. "Hug me and kiss me and tell me how much you missed me?"

Stephanie considered another witty or sarcastic comeback. But instead, she went with the truth and chose to make it sound more menacing than it really was. "You're damn right. Two weeks - or however long this ends up going on – is way too long."

"I know, babe. And we had basically zero notice about the practically mandatory extension."

"If we'd had more of a heads up, I could have arranged for me and the kids to fly down over the weekend."

"I know; I was thinking the same thing right when I got beyond pissed off," Hunter admitted. He took a deep breath and reigned in his selfish desires before he made himself mad again. He didn't want to basically throw a tantrum during the limited amount of time he got to video chat with Stephanie. "But even though I'd love to see you all, I really wouldn't want you burning through five grand easy, traveling by yourself with three small kids just to see me for a day or less."

A small, incredulous laugh escaped her as she said, "I could have handled the kids."

"I'm not saying you couldn't, Steph. I'm saying that the time and energy to get yourself and them all packed up and ready to go, dragging yourselves through an airport, sitting on a plane for hours…you'd be exhausted and stressed by the time you reached me. And I'll be training over the weekend – just at a slightly lower level. Then in a day or two you'd turn right around and do the whole prep and travel with the kids again, after us barely spending any time together. I wouldn't want to put you through all that."

"Those are all very good, rational points," Stephanie acquiesced. "I know it wouldn't have been cheap to book flights so late. You know I'm not crazy reckless with our money but the expenses would've amounted to pennies and nickles for us. I'm sure that the thought of seeing their Daddy would've been enough motivation for the kids to make things as easy as possible. At any rate…I wouldn't have cared about the cost – monetary or otherwise – as long as I got to see you."

"Your well-being comes first with me. You know that so I'm sure you know I wouldn't have let you fly down without a fight."

Grinning wickedly, she simply said. "I know. So…as much as it sucks it's probably for the best that we got the notice so late that I couldn't do anything about a flight."

"Yeah," he laughed. "So what's on your agenda tomorrow?"

"The kids are _dying _to see some new movie but I know they'll just make me go again when you get back," she said with a shake of her head. "So I think I'll talk them into hitting one of those fun center things. You know, with the rides and games. That'll occupy their attention and have them sleeping very well tomorrow night."

"Good plan" he complimented.

Stephanie didn't quite manage to bite back her yawn. When she was finished she said, "Why thank you. What are they making you do tomorrow?"

"The newbies start their warm-ups at six in the morning. I come on at seven to bust their asses some more."

Stephanie squinted at the corner of her laptop screen to eye the time. "Honey, it's after one," she said through another yawn. "You gotta get some sleep."

Hunter smirked at her. "Says the woman who can't stop yawning."

"I don't need to be up in the next few hours," she pointed out.

Tilting his head from side to side in consideration, Hunter decided she had a good point. "Hmm…accurate. The trainees get their meal break around eleven. Talk then?"

Stephanie nodded and tried her best to suppress the next yawn. "I'll make sure I'm free for the call."

"Appreciate it. Goodnight, Steph. I love you."

"Goodnight. I love you, too."

With that, Stephanie shut down her computer and placed it on the floor beside her bed. She switched the lamp off, flipped the television on and leaned back into the pillows, trying her best to relax. She'd kept the promise she made to herself; not to cry while speaking to her husband.

It would have only served to make him feel worse about having to be out of town for so long. He needed to focus and get the job done and her tears wouldn't have helped. He needed her support most of all. When Hunter had gotten off the phone with Vince, the first thing he'd done was call Stephanie. She'd had to talk him out of basically storming out of the training center and coming right home. That was a testament for how upset he'd been. By the time Stephanie received a call from her Dad, she'd calmed Hunter down long enough to be able to speak to the man again. It was during this conference call that Vince informed them of what was going on, fully. Hunter agreed to stay as long as Stephanie's current schedule could be extended so that she could be with the kids. Vince complied easily and excused himself from the conversation at that point.

This one time, they were willing to be flexible even though the situation was far from ideal. But neither of them really liked the not-so-subtle notice that their roles were probably going to be changing shortly. Hunter had let his speculation stop there, so they dropped that route of conversation. But Stephanie's mind silently continued to analyze. If the board had muscled her father into that, what was to stop them from trying to force her husband back into the ring? The ratings decline was no secret. And she had _maybe _until the end of the year before feuds began to appear seemingly out of nowhere…when really there were people strategically placed solely to incite feuds for Wrestlemania.

She just…didn't want their marriage to change. They were in such a good, solid place and she couldn't imagine going back to the way things were a few years ago. When they were appearing on screen together, it was a nightmare – although traveling together was convenient and sometimes fun. After Jack was born, that schedule had been very manageable. But now that her kids were old enough to have activities, sports and social lives, she couldn't very well cart them from hotel to hotel. Nor was she willing to leave them behind several days a week to go be with Hunter.

In frustration, she punched the pillow. She was stressing herself out over hypothetical situations, as usual. With a deep, calming breath she wiped away the few tears that had spilled over her long lashes. She was different now and so was Hunter. They'd figure something out if and when the time came. Until then she was going to do her best to put it out of her mind and enjoy her family.

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><p>This was (admittedly) not my best chapter in this trilogy. But there wasn't a whole lot that needed to happen here except show the power couple's solid adorableness while killing a few days' time as far as Hunter being out of town. Oh yeah and dropping some hints *whistles* (can't actually whistle, btw). Hope you all enjoyed it all the same, let me know!<p> 


	3. Completion

Prepare yourselves for the awwww, the squee and the sexy! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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><p>Stephanie plopped down on the chaise lounge and began clacking away at her laptop. This morning, she managed to practically fly through her work before she left the office. That left her with just a few loose ends to tie up at home. And then she'd be done and able to concentrate on the kids fully. Until then, she'd just do her work in the living room so that she'd be easily accessible and not totally disconnected from them.<p>

"Mommy, are you taking us to the movies?" Jackson asked.

Of course, this meant fielding questions about her evasiveness on whether or not they'd be seeing _Up _this weekend. Stephanie glanced up from her work and smiled. "Your Daddy and I are taking you guys."

"Daddy's back?" Karmina asked, blue eyes lighting up at the mention of her father.

"Oh sweetheart," Stephanie said with a little sigh. She wished she'd been more specific with her initial response. But her mild distraction with work was messing with her focus. Her mini-me looked so expectant and happy due to the misunderstanding. "Not yet. Soon, though."

"When?" Kaycee asked, already pouting at the answer.

"The kind of work he's doing for Grandpop doesn't have a set date to end, Kayce."

Somehow, the twins managed to pout further. Jack wasn't exactly thrilled…but he was older and better able to understand the situation, it seemed. So, the expression on his face didn't quite break her heart into unrecognizable pieces the way the girls' did. Stephanie drew her bottom lip in and decided to put family first, at least until her kids felt a bit better. Right now, she was the only parent who was available to physically embrace them and that's exactly what they needed. She sent off the completed document, shut her laptop and placed it to the side. She opened her arms wide and beckoned the kids over.

Karmina and Kaycee both hopped down from the couch and ran over to Stephanie. They crawled into the chair with her and gratefully burrowed into either side.

"Mommy," Kaycee said, trailing off on a whimper.

"We miss Daddy," Karmina finished.

Stephanie dropped a quick kiss on top of their heads. "I know you miss your Daddy," she began. "He misses you, too. I promise you that he doesn't like being away from home. He'll be back as soon as he can. Okay?"

The girls nodded against her, but said nothing. Stephanie glanced over at Jackson and easily read the look on his face. As much as he loved to tease his sisters, even _he _was feeling bad for them. And no doubt he also missed his father. Stephanie gave him a small smile. "There's room for you," she told him.

Jack considered for just a moment, then headed on over. Stephanie legs were stretched out in front of her, so he sat on the side of them and rested his head in her lap. He let out a small laugh when her hand reached down and ruffled his hair.

"Mommmmmmy," he complained, batting her hand away.

"Jack with his hair," Kaycee said.

"So weird," Karmina added. "Mommy, I like it when you play with my hair."

"Me too!" Kaycee agreed.

Stephanie laughed and took that as her cue to rub their heads and leave the boy alone. She threaded her hands down the length of their light brown waves and occasionally massaged their scalp while they watched whatever cartoon was on the television. She got so preoccupied with comforting them that she almost forgot about her own feelings. _Almost_ being the operative word. She knew that being apart from her husband wouldn't be rainbows and sunshine. Especially given how in-sync and closer they'd become over the last few months. Their relationship was more solid than it ever had been. For the first time, she wasn't hiding anything out of fear that it would damage or ruin her marriage. She had trust that Hunter's love for her wouldn't allow that to happen. The fact that she trusted him wholly had taken away any doubts Hunter had regarding her feelings for him. Now that he truly felt she was open, honest and head over heels in love with him, some things had changed.

There was a subtle lightheartedness about him when he interacted with her now. Although they'd always been playful and flirty with one another, there were somehow even more smiles and laughter. Major disagreements were few and far between and never escalated into a shouting match. Stephanie could honestly say that she felt they were _one_, as marriage partners were intended to be. It wasn't simple sadness, boredom or loneliness that she felt from being apart for two weeks. Though she could admit to being sexually frustrated, _that _wasn't the root of her pain. It wasn't that she had no way to appease their kids over his absence. No, what she felt was more simple.

Stephanie felt…incomplete. It was even beyond the ache in her chest during their couple of separations. They hadn't truly been united before those. And so it was just sadness, frustration, hurt and uncertainty of the future that was hurting her. What she felt right now was much different.

God, she couldn't wait for him to be done with work this evening. If he still hadn't been informed of a date that he could leave, she was flying down with the kids. Even though he'd fight her on it, due to the inconvenience and strain it put on her…she'd have her way somehow. It was simply becoming intolerable to be separated. She didn't even have a specific return date to look forward to or plan for. Maybe if she did, it would make things easier from an emotional standpoint. And if not, then she could have at least made logistic plans around the dates he would be away.

Hunter would be mad about it…after he got over the initial shock and elation of seeing her and the kids…but she was honestly considering just showing up without talking to him about it first. Hunter's priority was her well-being and as such he wouldn't passively allow her to make the long trek with the kids. But what even she didn't understand until just now was that her husband's presence _was _quite vital to her well-being. So even if she only got to spend a day with him, it was worth it. And once they stopped arguing over her decision, he would feel the same. Hell, he may even thank her. Today was just Thursday, so she'd hop on that task in the morning, depending on how their conversation went.

* * *

><p>Stephanie dug through her drawers, trying to find the proper attire to get in a late night workout. She wanted to kickbox, but she also wanted to lift weights. As appealing as beating the hell out of something was, it was weights that would do her the most good, probably. She was torn and honestly should just go to sleep, considering what time of night it was. Quite frankly, she was a tad bit too restless for sleep or any other form of relaxation. So she'd put her excess energy to good use now since she very much doubted she'd have time for the gym when she showed up in Florida.<p>

The goal was to have Hunter home by Tuesday. That's what he'd been told today. But nothing was set in stone and Stephanie would be damned if she didn't fly out for the weekend, in hopes that he'd be returned in a few days. If he didn't, the joke was on them. And if he did…well, there really was no such thing as too much time spent together where it concerned them.

After fumbling around in the damn darkness for the key hole, Hunter finally managed to get the front door open. He visibly cringed; he was anticipating that Max or Bailey would come barreling out to blow his cover. He waited a few seconds, but didn't hear either dog heading over. He entered the house fully and closed the door. He rolled the suitcase into a corner of the living room and eased the duffel bag off his shoulder and to the floor. He pulled his shoes off, as well, before he crept up the stairs as silently as he could. Stephanie hadn't yet appeared, so he figured he was in good shape as far as surprising her.

When he reached the landing of the second floor of the home, he turned his head left, not surprised that the kids' bedroom doors were closed and not a peep emanated from any of them. After all, it was near midnight when his plane landed. God knows what time it was now. He headed down the opposite hallway to his and Stephanie's room. He pressed his ear to the door, hoping to figure out where exactly she was. But…damn the soundproofing; it was very effective. Well, even if he just bust in, she'd assume it was one of the kids before she spotted him. Either way, his mission was accomplished.

Hunter pushed the door open slowly, smiling as he sensed that Stephanie was unaware of anyone entering the room. He poked his head in cautiously and noticed a few of her drawers pulled open. But she wasn't by the drawers and she wasn't sitting or lying on the bed or lounge chair. That left their cave-like closet or the bathroom. Either one was actually really good for him. He pushed their door closed and for good measure, locked it. He eased himself farther into the bedroom until finally he could hear her shuffling around. He risked a glance around the entrance to the closet and there she was.

Smiling, he watched her mutter obscenities as she chucked a box of tennis shoes into the small pile she'd made. Judging by her attire of tight shorts and a sports bra, she was heading down for a workout and unable to find the footwear she wanted. It was probably his fault that sleep was evading her. But he'd fix that in a few short moments, he was certain.

Stephanie pulled down another box of shoes, opened it and eyed the footwear critically.

"If you're looking for the purple and gray ones, I saw them downstairs," Hunter chimed in casually as he leaned against the door-frame. He chuckled as she visibly jumped at the sound of his voice. She dropped the box that she was holding, which only served to make him laugh fully.

Stephanie turned her head and while she was shocked, her lips naturally curved into a huge grin. "Hunter!" She practically squealed as she ran the short distance to his waiting arms. She clutched him fiercely, resting her face against his neck. Damn, he smelled great, as always. A surprised giggle escaped her when he tightened his grip around her waist and lifted her from the ground for a few seconds.

As her feet were lowered to the carpet again, suddenly it dawned on her that she'd been played just a few hours ago. "You asshole!" She nearly yelled while she punched him squarely in the chest.

"Hey! Ow!" He complained, even though the hit had barely tickled, let alone actually hurt.

A well-manicured index finger was suddenly poking at him now. "You let me think it was gonna be another few days before you came home!" She accused.

"Umm," he began. "Well, I guess I can hop back on a plane to Florida and wait until Tues-"

"No!" She interrupted. "You better not! That's the last thing I want. I'm just..." she tried to explain. "Hi."

"Hi," he returned with a smile.

Stephanie reached her hands out to his face and instead of the usual, neatly trimmed beard, she found a somewhat messier, longer version of it. She let her hands trail over his cheeks and jaw, enjoying the sensation that was prickly…but somehow soft because the hair was grown out more.

Feeling self-conscious, Hunter said, "Heh. Sorry. I was so busy I didn't have time to shave."

"I like it," she reassured him. "Scruffy beard is sexy on you."

"I do believe you said that when you saw me, you'd hug me, kiss me and tell me how much you missed me."

"I did, didn't I?" Stephanie leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to Hunter's. His arms came around her and he returned her kiss instantly but the pressure and pace remained gentle and sensual. Like they were savoring the long-awaited contact instead of allowing their feral passion to consume them. Stephanie's hands left his face and trailed down to rest on top of his shoulders. "I missed you," she said against his lips. "Words can't explain."

Hunter pulled back slightly because he wanted to be able to look into her eyes so that she understood how serious he was. "I missed you, Steph. I got the call that the replacement was flying out in the morning. I was already done for the evening…and I didn't want to wait until the damn afternoon to see you. I couldn't."

Stephanie leaned up and kissed him briefly. "How did you manage not to spill the beans when we were on the phone?"

"At that point, the latest news I had said Tuesday. The call I got after we spoke had different, better news. I just decided to grab the first flight I could…and surprise you." He smirked and decided to have a little fun teasing her for her reaction. "I was beaten up by my own damn wife for my efforts."

"Oh please!" Stephanie guffawed. "My hits barely register with you."

"Use your words. Violence is never the answer," he encouraged her in a deadpan, informative tone of voice.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow at this. "Use my words? Of all the things I could be doing…" she trailed off. "With my _mouth_, to show you how happy I am that you're home…"

Hunter simply blinked at her for a moment. Yes, he wanted to be with her physically. But from the experiences of his friends, he knew that it was a poor decision to automatically go for it, every time he saw the woman. He never wanted her to think that he believed being amazing at sex was her most valuable commodity. She was far more than that and he made it a point to emphasize that to her with his actions.

But, well…if she initiated it? "Right," he said. "Are we staying in here for those magical things?"

Stephanie laughed, "I'm up for changing locations in between." Slender, nimble hands yanked his t-shirt up and over his head. Her brow furrowed momentarily and then her hands reached out to touch something on his chest that she'd somehow never seen on him before. "Hmm," she murmured.

"…Didn't have time to shave. Remember?" He asked.

She let her fingers wade through the patch of soft, short, blonde hair that now ran from his chest and down over his abs. She'd seen guys who were practically walking fuzzballs or grizzly bears. Her husband hardly had any hair on his torso in comparison to them. But he had just enough for it to be, "I find this incredibly hot."

"What?" He asked. She'd never told him to grow the hair out. Then again, it's not like she ever told him to make sure it stayed away either. How had they never had this conversation? Whatever. They were bound to continue learning random things about each other for the rest of their lives. As long as she liked it he was..."Mmm," he moaned, losing his train of thought when her lips and tongue suddenly went to work on his neck.

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><p>Oh and as far as the BI sequel, Raging Impulse? It didn't come out like I wanted, so I scrapped it. I do technically keep all fics - scrapped and completed - on my flash drive so that if I change my mind or decide to redo it, I can keep the elements that worked. At this time, I don't have any plans on resurrecting that though.<p> 


	4. Ready

For the more squeamish readers: this takes place the morning after Hunter's return. So our power couple is in bed literally for this entire chapter. Mostly they're flirting, joking and occasionally kissing. But smut does happen at the end. Read at the risk of being traumatized or whatever. LOL.

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><p>Hunter lay in bed, casually watching some movie on a science fiction channel. He wasn't even sure what the hell the plot was about; this had just been the first thing to catch his attention while he'd flipped through the listings. It's not like he'd be focusing on whatever programming was on, when he had Stephanie lying right next to him. Or, <em>on <em>him…that was more accurate.

His wife was rightfully exhausted from working and running around after the kids alone for almost two weeks. Once it became apparent that they were going to have quite a long night together, she decided she'd work from home today if need be. Hunter wanted her to rest but as the minutes and hours ticked by and she'd hardly made a peep, he figured he should go ahead and get the kids squared away. In order to get downstairs to make breakfast, he had carefully detangled his limbs from hers. Once he made it to the kitchen, he'd whipped up a meal and literally _seconds _later, his kids came running down the staircase. Hunter had laughed to himself, thinking that the three small people somehow managed to sound like stampeding buffalo or something. Although he embraced them fervently, he did ask them to try not to make too much noise because their mother was still asleep. They complied and after they'd eaten, had taken to hanging out in the living room. As a reward for listening, Hunter promised they'd see the movie they couldn't stop talking about.

After cleaning up the kitchen a bit, Hunter had gone upstairs, undressed again and slipped back into the bed. Mostly, he resumed their prior positioning with Steph still being out cold. Currently, her head was lying against his chest and she had an arm thrown over his upper body. Her dark brown hair fanned out over her bare back and shoulders somewhat wildly. She seemed so content, with her long eyelashes resting against her cheeks and her lips curved into a small smile. Every now and then, Hunter trailed his index finger along the curve of her spine, eliciting a little purr of delight from her. It seemed she was taking the description of "satiated feline" quite literal. As much as he wanted to touch her further, she needed the rest. So he turned on the damn television to at least somewhat distract him from the total perfection he had the good fortune to be married to.

A wonderful scent was invading her senses. It wasn't the familiar one of her husband – that, she could easily pick out even with her eyes closed. Plus she could feel the chiseled muscle around and underneath her. Stephanie audibly sniffed the air before allowing her eyes to flutter open.

Hunter's hand brushed wayward strands of hair from her face. "Welcome back to the land of the living, gorgeous."

Stephanie chuckled lowly before she answered. "Good morning to you, love."

"How are you feeling?" He asked, hazel eyes probing hers…compelling her to not sugarcoat anything. As she'd expected, two weeks of abstinence had made their initial joining…slightly painful at first. The sensation had passed within a couple of minutes, thankfully, and she had been able to enjoy herself immensely.

"Well-rested," she said vaguely, mostly to mess with him. He continued to stare at her, patiently waiting for the rest of it. "Pleasantly sore." At the guilty look that crossed his features she quickly said, "It's nothing I didn't expect. It's normal for me."

"As long as I didn't hurt you…"

"You didn't, honey. I'm fine." Stephanie readjusted and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips.

Hunter grinned at her but asked, "What'd I do to deserve that?"

Stephanie lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Nothing specific. I just missed waking up like this," she admitted.

"To me teasing and complimenting you at the same time? Or to morning-after-sex talk?"

"No," she said, kissing him again. "To _you_, period."

Hunter considered for a moment. "Well," he began. Suddenly he reversed their positions so that she was pinned underneath him. He skimmed his lips across her earlobe and said, "I missed waking up to you." His tongue shot out and trailed down the side of her neck. "I missed going to sleep with you." He attacked her collarbone with feather-light, quick kisses. "I missed you during all the time in between waking up and going to sleep."

Well, she had no problem whatsoever with starting the morning like this. Being showered with kisses and caresses by Hunter was very high on the list of things that she enjoyed in life. Plus, during his absence they had opted not to…relieve themselves, so to speak. In fact it was her idea that they let the tension build solely that they could enjoy mauling the hell out of each other when he returned. Of course, that was when he was only supposed to be gone for a week. Two weeks of that made her so crazy that she wanted to tear her hair out.

Now Hunter was back, all hers and she intended to show him just what the lack of loving had done to her. As if he didn't already know, given how she behaved last night. Not only had she practically been the damn energizer bunny, but various syrups had somehow ended up involved, too. A few little things she'd picked up solely for whenever he returned. They'd both been quite sticky but very satisfied when they dredged up the energy to rinse off. That's about all they had left in their respective tanks. It hadn't even been a proper shower, to be honest. On that happy, devious little thought, Stephanie hooked her legs around his waist and flipped him over.

That earned a hearty chuckle out of her husband, even as he ran a finger down the dent in her chin affectionately.

"I missed being able to touch you and kiss you," she started.

"Prove it," he challenged.

"Hey! Did I interrupt you during your spiel?" She asked, silencing his laughter with a kiss of her own.

A quick dart of her tongue past his lips got a somewhat surprised groan out of him. "Mmm. Caramel."

"What?" She asked in between kisses.

Hunter didn't answer her immediately. Instead, he used the distraction to flip her over again. He dragged his lips downwards until he was at her breasts. His mouth and tongue swirled and sucked at each mound as he enjoyed the breathy gasps from underneath him. "You still taste like caramel," he said again. "Tastes good, baby."

Baby. Whoops, she totally forgot. Again. "I'm glad you're enjoying. I am, too…but I wanted to talk to you about something."

Hunter's eyebrows drew together in momentary confusion. "Now? Why now?" He asked seriously. They were both obviously very turned on and he was having difficulty thinking of a topic that wouldn't be a killjoy.

Stephanie tapped against his shoulder until he rolled out of the way. She sat up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. For some reason she actually felt nervous…she hoped that this was still something her husband wanted. They hadn't discussed it at all since the whole Howard blow out. God help her, she didn't want to think about that catastrophe. But she couldn't simply proceed without broaching the subject.

"I had planned to talk about it on whatever day you came home. Last night was a total surprise…and then…well, I was easily sidetracked by the sexy beard and chest hair," she revealed. Just because she felt like it, she touched his cheek and enjoyed the curious sensation all over again.

"Okay." Hunter placed his free hand on one of her hips and asked, "What's up?"

"I'm not sure how to start…I think it'll be easier if I show you something first."

"All right," he agreed. Stephanie scooted off the bed and got to her feet. Hunter followed her lead by also standing up.

Stephanie laid her hands on his chest and instructed, "Stay here. Okay?"

Hunter tilted his head curiously, but nodded for her to go on. He watched as she made a hasty…and completely nude beeline for the bathroom. What in the hell was that woman up to now? He was seriously baffled but stayed put, standing alone in their bedroom as she'd asked. In less than a minute she reappeared, grabbed his hand and led him over the small waste basket in their room. He wasn't even going to ask questions anymore – just let her do the talking since she seemed extremely nervous about whatever it was she was doing.

"I know this is kind of weird. But since I've been on the fence before…and done some questionable things…I wanted to do this to show you that I'm serious."

"Okay," he said, even though he still had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

Stephanie squeezed his hand once before releasing it. In her other hand, she revealed three small packets of very tiny pills. He watched with great interest while she made it a point to pop each pill out of its slot and into the trash can individually. It took a few minutes, as each packet contained more than just a few pills. When she was finished, she tossed the packets in after the pills. "Those…well they were my current birth control pills. I get them in three month supplies."

"Uhhh…if you're supposed to use them over three months, you probably shouldn't have tossed them," he pointed out, with some concern.

"It's been awhile since we last talked about it. But do you still want another baby?" At his nod, she smiled. "Then I don't _need_ the pills." God help him. She'd been so reluctant and wishy-washy over the topic that her poor husband still didn't understand what she was trying to tell him. The blank look on his face was clear evidence of that. "Hunter I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few weeks. And I know that I'm ready to have another child with you."

Though he tried hard to fight it, the corners of his mouth twitched up into a smile and his eyes lit up. Once he got himself under control, he returned to being neutral. "I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that, Steph. Could you say that again? Or re-word it so I understand better?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes playfully and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm saying that I'm ready to try for a baby." She yelped in shock before she burst out laughing. Hunter had yanked her up into his arms and was carrying her across the room so quickly you'd think they were trying to outrun a fire. It wasn't quite so surprising when he laid her on the bed and kissed her full on the lips, though. She was quite pleased with this reaction, to say the least. A part of her had worried if maybe her constant doubts over another pregnancy had turned him away from the idea. Judging by the erection that had gone absolutely nowhere during their chat, she was going to say that quite the opposite was true. Looks like he couldn't wait to get started on their efforts for kid number four. She moaned into his mouth as said hardness brushed up against her most sensitive areas.

At that same moment, Hunter's stomach growled and Stephanie snorted.

Hunter pulled away and narrowed his eyes at her.

"I…" she started before covering her face to hide how hard she was laughing. She was failing because the rest of her body was shaking uncontrollably. And not in the way he intended to make it shake. "I'm sorry…I. Have you eaten today?"

"No. I was waiting for you to wake up. I fed the kids breakfast but what's left is for us."

A little piece of her melted at his sweetness and thoughtfulness. She reached up and rubbed his arms. "It's like eleven…I feel so bad now. Maybe we should get you some food first."

Hunter arched an eyebrow at her in question. Then, he took her arms and pinned them above her head. "Absolutely fucking not," he said against her ear before nibbling at the lobe. "As soon as the kids know you're awake I won't be able to steal you away until they go to sleep. I want you now."

"Can't say I didn't try," she said nonchalantly. When he was famished later on, she certainly couldn't be held to blame for it. She tried to get the man to satisfy his appetite. But the number one thing on his priority list was an appetite of a different kind. One that only she could curb.

"Uh huh," he murmured, kissing and licking at her neck lazily. "Tell me what you want, Stephanie."

"I…" she started and trailed off on a moan as a thick finger slid inside her. "Oh…fuck."

It was an active fight to keep from laughing. He honestly loved how his strong, intelligent, wonderful, professional, good-natured, dignified woman would tremble, shake and moan, muttering something that was either incoherent or a curse word, from his touch. It was rather exhilarating. Making her talk during foreplay and sex was also amazing…he loved her voice as it was naturally. But when she was hot and bothered, the tone dropped and became so sultry it made his head spin with desire. There literally wasn't a single thing about her that didn't do something to him.

His lips trailed upwards towards her ear again. "Tell me what you want, baby," he repeated. "And I'll give it to you."

Stephanie yanked lightly on his ponytail until he lifted his head to look at her. She pulled the band and tossed it across the room. She fastened her hands in the blonde locks and told him very clearly, "I want you."

"Could you be more specific?" He asked, crooking his finger inside of her.

Fucking Hunter, he was trying to make her so horny that she'd explode. As hot as this was, if he killed her from anticipation, she'd damn well find a way to take him with her.

"I want you inside me," she said. She hissed at the next crook of his finger. She wracked her brain for what he could possibly want to hear that would compel him to put her out of her damn misery already. "I…want you to make love to me…?"

Another crook of his finger.

"Damn it," she hissed, partially in frustration and partially because it felt good. But it wasn't what she wanted - not all the way. For God's sake, she already told the man what she wanted physically. How more specific could she…suddenly it dawned on her what he had her repeating just a few minutes ago. Instead of saying it, she chose to take control. Using the bit of resolve that he hadn't sapped from her mind, she pushed against his shoulders and used his surprise as leverage to roll him over using her weight.

"Asshole," she said, even though she was smiling.

"What?" He asked innocently. "You didn't say it."

"True. I wasn't figuring it out at first. But," she interrupted her own sentence to lean down and kiss him passionately. "I _want_ to have your baby," she reiterated for the third time and hoped it was the charm to get the second thing she wanted.

To answer her unspoken inquiry, Hunter placed both hands on her hips and swiftly flipped her over.

Stephanie nodded at him to confirm that she was ready. He kissed her and slowly began to inch his way inside. Her nails scored his back and he stopped advancing. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, adjusting underneath him the slightest bit. She fastened her hands in his hair and crushed her lips to his. Taking this as his cue to continue, he slowly slipped past her silken folds until she surrounded him completely.

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><p>#HelmsleyBabyNumberFour #ftw lol<p> 


	5. Pardon Me

This chapter clocked in at just over 4000 words. It was sooooo much fun to write, so I hope you all enjoy it and leave your feedback on your favorite (or not so favorite) parts. I'm curious to see if they match up with mine! Lol

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><p>Stephanie began a wipe of her browsing history on the home office computer. Whenever she could, she popped online solely to scout out things to do for Hunter's 36th birthday. The year prior was probably a cooler number that warranted a huge party…and that's exactly what she'd done for him. But she found herself wanting to do something big this year just because her feelings for him had grown exponentially.<p>

Already, she knew what her plans for his 40th birthday were: a week in a tropical location for just the two of them. But on the last night, he'd find that she'd flown in every person that meant something to him, solely for a surprise party on the beach. It was going to be epic. But she had four more birthdays to plan before she got to the logistics of that one.

Timing wise, she had cut it close. As soon as she stood up from the chair, she felt the rumble of the garage signaling that her husband was now home. Stephanie wandered down the staircase and into the kitchen to meet him.

"Hey!" She greeted with a wide smile.

Hunter reached out and grabbed her hips, pulling her against him. "Hey yourself."

Stephanie leaned up and pecked him on the lips.

Hunter smiled at her, before frowning at the lack of noise in the house. "It's awfully quiet around here."

"The kids aren't back yet," Stephanie told him.

"How long is Leah keeping them at the park?'

Stephanie shrugged. "However long we allow it and she's got time for, I guess."

While she'd been at work, Stephanie received a call from her friend Lauren's sister – turned babysitter – letting her know that the kids weren't ready to leave the park just yet. Although she'd technically be paying her for it, Stephanie agreed that they could stay longer. The gap actually did end up allowing her to sneak in a workout and try to pull things together for Hunter's birthday. So she supposed it had been a good decision.

Hunter smirked at her. "The boy was the ring leader of this, wasn't he?"

In response, Stephanie laughed. "Oh, you know it!"

The ringing of the doorbell made Hunter groan. He loved them…but he honestly hoped that this wasn't Leah with the kids just yet. During the few days he'd been back, the only alone time he got with Stephanie was that first weekend. During the week, work and the kids dominated the vast majority of their time.

Stephanie took note of Hunter's change in mood and patted his chest sympathetically. "I doubt it's the kids. Whoever it is, I'll get rid of them."

Hunter chuckled and watched as she exited the kitchen. It was better for her to try to rid them of the intruder…he wasn't sure that he could maintain a polite demeanor when the interruption was at the worst possible time.

Stephanie reached the front door and was so anxious that she pulled it open without checking to see who it was.

"Hey, good looking," Howard greeted with his trademark mischievous smile.

Stephanie gaped at her husband's twin in utter disbelief. After the blowout that occurred in the bar, she wouldn't have been surprised to never see his actual face again except for when she looked at her own husband. "Howard…what…what are you doing here?"

Howard shrugged and looked just a little too innocent, given what she knew about him. "Thought I'd come see my bro!"

"Are you insane? If Hunter sees you-"

"Oh let him," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "This is important shit, sweet cheeks."

"Steph?" Hunter called out as he entered the living room. "Who's at the…" his voice trailed off as he noticed Howard standing outside the door. Even though Stephanie was standing in the way, Howard was still visible since he had good six or seven inches of height on her.

The lightheartedness in his eyes faded and his face quickly shifted into a scowl. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?" he snarled and made short work of the distance to the door.

Oh Jesus. Stephanie really didn't want there to be a bloodbath on their front porch. But unless Howard had changed during his exile (unlikely) that's exactly what was about to happen. Howard hadn't pressed charges after the first time Hunter beat his ass…she wasn't sure how inclined he would be to do so, should he get a repeat of the events.

"Is that any way to speak to your brother?" Howard asked.

Hunter's lips upturned into a sadistic smile. "Go to hell! How's that for a brotherly greeting?"

"Touchy, aren't ya? I thought the missus here would be helping you out with that. I'd know from experience how 'touchy' she is." For good measure, Howard winked at Stephanie in plain view of Hunter.

Internally, Stephanie facepalmed. With that one comment, went _any _chance of this encounter not turning violent. Their pure solidness as husband and wife had certainly ebbed the worst parts of Hunter's temper. But Stephanie was fairly confident that Howard would be just the person to make her husband lose his shit. On the other hand, although that mix-up involving her striptease was over and done with she still felt the guilt, shame and embarrassment come rushing right back at her. After all, he had seen her do something that was highly intimate. Something that she'd only ever done for her husband. That something had been tainted due to Howard. Hell, Howard had even tainted her skin and mouth before she realized his true identity. She'd start hitting Howard herself if she wasn't the only thing that could possibly stop Hunter from going off the deep end. And even that wasn't a guarantee.

Still, Stephanie turned to Hunter fully and placed her hands on his chest to keep him from advancing to the porch where Howard stood. He didn't make any move to bowl her over necessarily. He was trying to sidestep her but there was nowhere to go because she stood directly under the doorway.

Hunter glared over Stephanie's head at Howard, pointing his index finger as a warning. "Do you want me to kick your fucking ass again?"

Howard smirked. "I don't think you _can_. I'm all sober today – or haven't you noticed?"

Hunter snorted. "With the bullshit coming out of your mouth, I wasn't sure. If it's a beatdown you want…just keep talking."

Stephanie sighed and attempted to push her husband back. "Hunter, no!"

"Listen to your wife, Hunter. You're out of your league…you don't want none of this," Howard declared, gesturing to himself proudly.

"Shut the hell up, Howard!" Stephanie said through clenched teeth. Honestly, she really couldn't hold her husband back. She was in no way, shape or form a match for his strength. She simply had leverage because of where she stood…and because of the fact that he wouldn't risk hurting her just to get to Howard. It was a true testament for how far along he'd come. Back during the days when she appeared with him on screen, she honestly lost count of the number of times she accidentally got caught up in one of his squabbles and ended up injured as a result. Either Hunter would forget or not realize she was nearby…and accidentally hit her or send some mountain of a guy flying into her. Her desire to have history repeat itself was at an absolute zero.

Howard came forward so that he was standing directly behind Stephanie. Her back was turned so she had no idea what he was doing until she felt his presence invade her personal space. "Aww sweetheart," he crooned with false sincerity. "Look at you…so fierce and loyal," he laughed. "But you don't have to do that. I can take care of my brother, I don't need your protection but you're such a doll for trying."

Whatever rationality Stephanie had in this situation departed as Howard insinuated that she was on his side, rather than her husband's. She'd been preparing to tell his ass off…but…well, he slapped hers first.

The fucking…audacity of that…she wasn't even gonna call him a man. The anger that coursed through her veins as she clenched her fists and turned around was enough as far as distractions went. Before she could even process what was happening, Hunter swiftly pulled her behind him and lunged at Howard.

The two men tumbled down the few steps of the porch, fists and golden hair flying at a dizzying speed. They wrestled on the ground until Hunter got the advantage by kneeing Howard in the abdomen. Howard groaned and rolled away to try to catch his breath. Because they were both on the ground and he found it quicker at the moment, Hunter simply crawled the couple of feet over and grabbed Howard by the collar of his shirt. He reared his fist back and put all of his body weight behind his next hit.

Hunter threw such a savage punch that he lost his balance, just a mere fraction of a second after he split Howard's lip. Stephanie stood in the doorway, wide-eyed as she observed the fight. She had no idea what the hell to do. Neighbors weren't close enough to see or hear this mess…and even if they were, there was no one she trusted enough to handle this matter without leaking it to the press. Calling the cops wasn't an option as her husband had thrown the first hit – a detail she was more than happy to lie about if it came to that. She mulled over her limited options, wincing as Howard blocked the next punch from Hunter and shoved him to the ground.

"Stop it!' She shrieked at the two of them as they began to battle for leverage by wrestling again. Hunter got himself into a slightly more advantageous position. But he moved to block a left jab, when Howard had shortly after, sent everything he had into a right hook.

God no, not his face! She…well, she loved everything about Hunter, really. But his face was just gorgeous and she preferred for it to remain unmarred. The punch he just received was sure to leave a bruise. She watched in partial horror as Howard shakily got to his feet.

"Ahhh," he groaned and swiped the back of his hand over his lip. He eyed the blood that the action left and became even more enraged at Hunter. "I'll fuckin' show you," he growled lowly and planted one of his huge feet on Hunter's chest. "You remember this, asshole?" He asked, referencing that their last fight had ended with Hunter pinning Howard to the floor of a bar, using his boot. Actually, that was technically the last time they saw each other, period. "Doesn't feel good, does it? Goddamn opposite end of déjà vu for your ass," he laughed. "But this part is new!" He yelled and lifted his foot, only to stomp it into Hunter's chest.

Hunter groaned as much as he could, but the pressure really had knocked the wind out of him. The only thing working in his favor about this was Howard's incessant gloating. Hunter grabbed the asshole's calf until he had a grip so firm that it threw Howard off balance. His twin stumbled backwards and Hunter used the opportunity to sweep his legs from under him completely. Howard's back thudded against the grass and for a moment he just lay there.

Both men slowly rolled onto their stomachs and gradually pushed up onto their knees. They glared at one another hatefully…and at that moment Stephanie knew she had no choice but to utilize the one way she figured she could break them up without physically getting involved. Otherwise, they'd fucking kill each other. She disappeared from the porch, with neither of the blondes noticing.

Hunter heaved out a ragged breath. "This…this is what you…came here for, huh?"

"No," Howard said, taking a swipe at his lip and breathing just as hard. "You're just…such a dick that it came to this."

"You…show up at my house talking shit," Hunter grumbled as he pushed himself up to his feet. "Hitting on my wife. Bringing up things I've already…kicked your damn ass over…and _I'm _a dick?"

"Damn right!" Howard seethed, not caring that the loudness was making his lip bleed more. "You didn't even let me talk before you started busting my balls."

"That's because when you talk, a bunch of horse shit comes out of your mouth!"

Howard gave his brother a wicked smile and staggered to his feet. "Wouldn't you like to know what I'd like to put in Steph-" His sentence was interrupted by Hunter finding momentum out of absolutely nowhere and driving his shoulder into Howard's midsection. The sheer force of the blow knocked Howard down and onto his back again. Meanwhile Hunter tumbled a few inches away, but quickly extended his foot and kicked wherever he could reach.

In between kicks, he vowed, "If it's the last…thing you do…you'll learn to keep her…out of this!"

"Asshole!" Howard yelled, putting his arms up in an attempt to block the haphazard kicks. Soon, he began swatting wildly in hopes that he either hit his brother or at least was able to catch his foot.

The two of them resembled a couple of schoolchildren and that look only intensified when they were suddenly hit with a blast of water.

"What the-" Hunter started as the pressure kept him from maneuvering.

Howard tried to get up, but slipped in the wet grass and promptly fell directly on his butt. "This is _your _fault!" He screamed at Hunter and began to crawl to where Hunter was basically pinned down by a stream of water. "You got everything!"

Just as he was about to reach his brother, a powerful stream hit him squarely in the chest and knocked him onto his back.

Once both men were down and had seemingly given up, Stephanie switched off the high-pressured setting on the nozzle of the water hose. "Both of you knock it off!"

"This is bullshit," Howard complained as he continued to slip and slide in an attempt to get back up.

The identical twins managed to make it to their feet at the same time and they sent menacing glances each other's way. Each man's blonde locks had managed to fall out of their previously tamed styles and were now cascading in wild, wet ringlets. The pair of them were soaked, filthy, wounded and clearly still angry.

Out of spite, Howard pushed Hunter by the shoulder and made him lose his balance. Howard chuckled to himself and continued to walk across the lawn, assuming that his brother would fall. Once Hunter regained himself, he ran at Howard, firmly planting both hands at his back to shove him forward.

"HEY!" Stephanie yelled. "Damn it…you two!"

"This isn't my fault," Howard said to Stephanie.

"Bullshit, _he _started it!" Hunter accused.

"My God," Stephanie sighed. "You two act like Karmina and Kaycee except they're not nearly as violent and temperamental."

Hunter frowned at Stephanie for the comparison, but said nothing…because she was sort of right. The girls resolved their spats with no hard feelings because they were raised together. They loved each other and had a bond that was unbreakable. His twins didn't feel particularly envious of each other because they were equally spoiled and cared for by both parents. Himself and Howard? Not so much. "Whatever," Hunter muttered in dismissal of the entire event as he stalked towards the front porch.

"Excuse me!" She said to Hunter, putting a hand out to stop his movements. "If you think you're going through my front door dripping wet and covered in dirt, grass and blood you're mistaken."

His hazel eyes flattened into a cool stare. "Woman, I _live _here."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows. "Sorry. Let me rephrase. If you think you're going through _our _front door…dripping wet and covered in dirt, grass and blood you're mistaken."

"Stephanie I am not in the mood for this," Hunter said rather calmly.

"We just had the house cleaned yesterday…I understand the situation with your cunt brother but that's no reason to mess up the entire house." Gently – she had no idea if his entire body ached – she took a hold of his arm and started pulling him away. "Come on, I'll help you clean up in the backyard."

"Hey! I'm not a cunt!" Howard cried in his defense. "That's an insult for a chick!"

"Fine; does fuckbag work better for you?" Stephanie called over her shoulder as they passed him.

Hunter smirked…while he was somewhat irritated that Stephanie wouldn't let him in the house, he did understand. But her open insults to Howard were rather entertaining and he found that was outweighing the irritation.

Instead of waiting for a response – Howard's mouth was wide open in shock so she wasn't sure if he was able to speak – she continued to drag her husband towards the backyard. "Howard, you may as well follow us."

Hunter stopped dead in his tracks. "Why?" He asked loudly. "I want him gone!"

Stephanie let out another sigh. "He came here for a reason and I doubt it was to start a fight."

"Whatever!" Hunter grumbled, noting that Howard was now following them. "You can say what you have to say and get the fuck out after."

"Fine by me," Howard said with a shrug. "Fake ass Fabio," he commented to himself as he caught up with the couple.

"We look exactly alike you dumbass!" Hunter countered.

Howard's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Shut up!"

"Try to make me!" Hunter said, clenching his fists again.

Averting her eyes to the sky, Stephanie blew out a heavy breath. Finding out what Howard came here for may just take all damn day. Hopefully it was worth it, after all this excitement. But knowing him, that was doubtful. At any rate, she needed to head inside and get her husband some towels and some clean, dry clothes. Because it was in her nature, she honestly wanted to get Howard the same…but that may be pushing it.

At this point, she really couldn't chance leaving Hunter alone with Howard. The odds were that another altercation would ensue in the couple of minutes she'd be gone. So to distract Hunter from wanting to start another fight, she stepped in front of him and attempted to push him towards the backyard. He remained relatively still, staring daggers through Howard. So she settled for something that usually worked like a charm; she fastened her hands in his hair and kissed him.

"Oh snap!" Howard commented, tilting his head as he watched the display.

When Hunter groaned against her lips, she knew that she had his attention and possibly his cooperation. She broke the kiss and waited a moment."Baby?" She asked sweetly. Hunter's eyes opened and Stephanie fought back a pleased smile. The hazel orbs were a whole hell of a lot softer now.

"Hmm?"

"I need to go inside and get you some towels to dry off with and some clean clothes. Maybe some ice for your cheek, too," she commented as she lightly traced her finger around the injured area.

"Okay," he said.

"Promise me you won't fight with Howard while I'm in the house."

Hunter looked away momentarily before frowning. "Ugh," was his noncommittal response.

"Please?" Stephanie asked, her blue eyes practically pleading with him.

"Fine," Hunter relented. "But if he touches me-"

"Pfffttt," Howard cackled. "Nobody wants to fuckin' touch you. You're not the hot shit you think you are."

Hunter turned his head and glared at Howard, yet again. What a dipshit. Howard thought he was God's fucking gift to woman based on looks alone. He and Hunter looked exactly the same, minus one or two easily missed features. He was about to point out the asshole's irrational insult and logic, but Stephanie grabbed his chin and forced him to lock eyes with her. Damn it…he just couldn't resist her eyes. It really should be considered an unfair tactic when it came to negotiations.

"Hunter, please don't. Just…stay here for a few minutes. And ignore him. I'll be right back."

Stephanie watched as Hunter nodded. It seemed like he was actually gonna try to comply. But given Howard's tendency to provoke her husband, she knew that he may need some extra incentive to be the bigger man. She leaned in close so that only he could hear her. "_I _think you're very hot and I always want to touch you. Be good and I'll prove it to you later." At his cheeky grin, Stephanie pecked his lips once more and ran inside the house. The less time those two were left to their own devices, the better.

Hunter cast a quick glance at Howard before dismissing him. He walked over to the pool area and gingerly sat down in one of the oversized chairs.

Howard poked his lips out in thought, wondering if Hunter would attempt to drown him if he sat down by the pool, too. Ultimately he decided to take his chances, but sat a good few feet away from his twin. "Sooooo," he began.

"Shut up," Hunter said without bothering to look at him.

"Well that was ruuuu-de!"

Hunter turned to look at Howard, but maintained some semblance of calm. "My wife is literally the only thing that's stopping me from drowning your ass. For your own safety I'd suggest you keep your damn mouth shut until she gets back out here."

"Ah," Howard mused with a laugh. "She's got you on that short a leash, eh? Didn't take long for you to go back to that after the _freedom _I helped you realize."

"Look, the only thing your interference helped me realize was that my marriage was screwed up."

"Well, pardon the shit out of me, but that sounds pretty valuable."

"We'd have figured it out without your unintentional help."

"You don't know that," Howard commented. "So you've gotta assume you wouldn't have figured it out."

"Whatever, Howard." With that, Hunter turned to stare out at the pool.

"Can't you just thank me and move on?" Howard asked.

"Let's pretend for a moment that you somehow actually helped. Let's pretend that you didn't try to trick my wife into fucking you and then start a fight with me at some damn bar after accusing her of being the instigator. Barring all of that, I'd be showing my gratitude by not hitting you over the head with my son's baseball bat, dragging your fucking unconscious body to the edge of the pool, using my foot to push you in and finally, closing the cover to make sure you can't escape if you happen to wake up."

"Fair enough," Howard agreed.

An uneasy silence descended upon the twins after that, until Stephanie returned just a minute later. She brought out a decent pile of towels, a couple of ice packs and two sets of workout attire.

Stephanie and Hunter disappeared towards the pool house, leaving Howard outside to change his clothes. Given their somewhat secluded home, it wasn't like he was totally out in the open. But even if he was, he was too arrogant to care anyway.

"Are you mad at me?" Stephanie asked once they were inside and out of earshot of Howard.

Hunter furrowed his brow and allowed her to hold the ice pack to his face while he shed the wet clothing from his lower body. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Let's see…" she trailed off in thought. "I didn't check to see who it was before I answered the front door. I doused you with water. I wouldn't let you in the house…and I suggested Howard stick around to say what he has to say. Oh…and he's probably gonna be wearing a pair of your track pants and one of your t-shirts."

Stephanie removed the ice pack so that he could roll the wet shirt up and off of his body. She tried hard not to ogle at the smooth expanse of muscle. Or…other things. The guy was actually standing here stark naked but he was so upset that he didn't even seem to notice that, nor her difficulty with focusing.

"The water and house thing was just irritating. After all we've been through that's not enough to make me mad with you. It's Howard I'm mad at," he clarified. "You, I just love."

Stephanie placed the ice pack to his face again. "I love you, too. I do wonder what Howard has to say, though."

"Only one way to find out, " Hunter mused as he began to dry off.

* * *

><p>There. I've now spoiled you people tremendously. So shoo! lol<p> 


	6. You Know Nothing

Well, I had to do a little nod to our favorite wildling on Game of Thrones. Couldn't help myself really. LOL. Enjoy the bit of fluff followed by some drama!

Also, thanks much to Britt! Your wonderful reviews actually got me to get my ass in gear and write something on this.

* * *

><p>Hunter's cheek was feeling fairly numb due to the ice that was being applied. But now that the adrenaline had worn off, the rest of his body was making its disapproval of his brawl known. Just like the last time, his torso had taken the most damage. Maybe he'd start training those areas harder in the gym solely to prepare for potential, random fights with Howard.<p>

He shoved his long, muscular legs into the clean pair of sweatpants that Stephanie had brought for him. He pulled the relatively lightweight material up and over his hips, tying a quick knot with the drawstring. He was going to reach around Steph for the next piece of clothing…but she caught his attention instead.

"Is there a word for this sort of foreplay?" He began, waiting until she lifted her gaze to his. "You - undressing me with your eyes while holding an ice pack to my face."

Stephanie simply gave him a wicked smile. "Well, you weren't wearing anything when I started staring."

"Fair enough," he decided. "I haven't put on much yet, you know."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning," Hunter echoed as he wrapped an arm around her waist, "Undressing me for real wouldn't take long. If you were interested in that sort of thing," he said casually.

Stephanie's ran the fingertips of her free hand from his abdomen and up to his shoulder. "I'm always interested." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips and left it at that.

Hunter groaned and leaned down to bury his face in her neck. There was a reason she hadn't elaborated on her statement nor given him a longer kiss. He was pretty damn certain that he knew exactly why. "But…Howard's outside."

"Yup."

Hunter sighed. The small motion made his beard tickle her skin. "Ugh."

Stephanie felt his pain. Before Howard showed up at the damn door, she'd certainly intended to make use of their temporarily empty home. Not only did she not get what she wanted, but also ended up with a gigantic problem on her hands. Put simply, the problem was trying to keep her husband from ending up in a jail cell by nightfall. All things considered, she was doing a pretty good job. But given Howard's inclination to provoke Hunter, it really was best if he said his piece and left as soon as possible. "Honestly? After everything that's happened I don't care about making him wait outside for however long. I care that he'll probably manage to find a way to watch…possibly even record us."

"I'm gonna regret asking this," Hunter admitted as he lifted his head. "But what do you even think he'd do with a recording?"

Stephanie clucked her tongue. "Sell it. I refuse to allow my mind to contemplate any other possibilities."

"Smart idea," he said. Well, that settled that. They seriously needed to change the topic before they ended up making a poor choice. They could always maul each other later on. "How's my face looking?"

Removing the ice pack, Stephanie used her other hand to lightly trace the left side of his face. Feeling around the area was unnecessary for her to reach a conclusion. Sue her, she liked touching her husband. "Ruggedly handsome," she said truthfully. "The swelling has gone down but you're gonna have a massive bruise by tomorrow."

Hunter muttered unintelligibly for a moment before he spoke up. "I wouldn't care about the bruising if I wasn't in the office so much now. How am I supposed to explain this shit at work?"

Stephanie shrugged. "You could tell people I abused you."

"That's not funny." Yet he laughed anyway because it was actually pretty hilarious. It just didn't solve his problem.

"We have three very active kids. Just say nothing and people will assume you got assaulted by a flying doll or baseball."

Hunter and Stephanie both turned when the door to the pool house suddenly opened, bathing the area with sunlight.

Howard rolled his eyes impatiently. "What the hell are you doing – having a damn tea party? I don't have all day, you know."

"Then maybe you should've called instead of showing up unannounced," Hunter said.

Howard shrugged. "Not my fault. The number I've got is disconnected."

"People I love have the current one."

Ouch. As much as Stephanie didn't care for Howard's antics, even she felt the sting of Hunter's remark. She honestly didn't know what Howard's true feelings were…but she knew her husband's very well. They didn't talk about Howard much, but she was well aware that Hunter had been hurt by his twin. Hell, sometimes she could see it in his eyes when he watched Karmina and Kaycee interact. He'd wished that had been his and Howard's upbringing. He wanted them to have had that level of closeness when they did finally learn of each other. Not only had Howard tainted that dream, but he'd also lied to and betrayed Hunter.

Basically, Hunter had developed a genuine brotherly love for Howard. She very seriously doubted that it had faded completely. Most likely it hurt her husband to insinuate otherwise. He was pissed and rightfully so. Expressing that was good and as long as he didn't resort to physical violence, she was staying the hell out of it. She'd just be there for him when he was ready to talk about it.

Howard nodded tensely. "Shall we get down to business then?"

Stephanie held out the t-shirt she brought. Hunter took it from her and quickly dragged it on over his head. His damp hair still hung in loose ringlets around his face and quickly darkened the shoulders of the gray material. He slid his feet into some Nike sandals and padded towards the door of the pool house. Stephanie scooped up the discarded, horribly damaged clothing and headed towards the door as well.

"Hey, whoa! This is between us, sweet cheeks!" Howard said, holding out his hand to her shoulder to stop her from advancing.

Hunter slapped Howard's hand away and leveled him with a cool stare. "Don't fucking touch her!"

"I just put my hand out!" Howard said in his defense. "She's the one who kept moving!"

"Because that's what people do when they're walking, Einstein."

Stephanie sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm just taking this stuff to the trash. I won't stay around for your chat," she directed at Howard.

"Good," he said.

"Shut up, Howard!" Hunter turned to Stephanie and squeezed her hand gently. Howard was such an asshole that Hunter didn't even have words for it. He wasn't about to let him do anything to drive a wedge through his marriage. "You can stay. We don't keep things from each other."

"I know," Stephanie affirmed. "I'd rather hear your version than Howard's colorful one, anyway."

"Pffftttt! Whatever," Howard said.

Despite the fact that Howard was rude, she smirked a little bit. He was like a petulant child. "I'll see you in a bit," she said to Hunter.

"Okay," Hunter agreed, releasing her hand. He watched her carry the small bundle of ruined clothing farther into the backyard, no doubt heading for the trash can. He turned and walked towards the pool area with Howard following closely behind.

Hunter sat down in the same oversized chair he'd occupied just ten minutes prior. Howard lingered a few feet away, seemingly hesitant. "Considering your threats to drown me, I'm uncomfortable being by the pool again."

"Then leave."

Howard sighed, picked a chair and scooted it a couple of feet farther away from the pool. "Such a rude host."

Hunter shook his head slowly. "Are you _really_ naïve as to how much of a complete bastard you are? I just met you, I'm related to you and we've already had two fistfights. It's a wonder someone hasn't killed you."

At Hunter's comment, a chill ran up the back of Howard's spine. His mind flashed back to the last time he'd dared to walk home from the gym. The metal pipe to the back of his head had surely knocked some details fuzzy. But Howard remembered the transaction that had been made long ago. He knew what needed to happen and he knew just the person who could help. Except that they weren't on the best of terms and Howard couldn't ask for help. That needed to change.

Instead of answering the question – he wasn't really sure how he could – he changed the subject. "Listen, a few months after I went back to New York…I…well I don't know what happened," he admitted, shoving his blonde hair back using his hand. "Something had just been bugging me. Ever since you told me about your parents. Something was off."

"Of course something felt off. They were fucked up people," Hunter said informatively and without even a hint of self-pity. It wasn't his fault that his biological parents were almost always strung out on some mind-altering substance. Their behavior to him as a result actually had nothing to do with him. It was the drugs; it was just who they were. Over the last few months he'd really come to grips with that stunning realization. He'd let the past go, in that regard. His parenting and relationship skills weren't going to be defined by two drug addicts who couldn't even keep a roof over their heads. He'd finally learned to _own _the fact that he had a choice where it concerned his marriage and his kids. He could choose to be an asshole and blame it on his upbringing. Or he could choose to do everything he could to show them that he loved them. Choosing the latter had done wonders for himself and his family in just a few months.

"They weren't your parents."

Hunter felt every inch of his body tense up in response. He stared at Howard in bewilderment, not fully comprehending. He pinched the bridge of his nose and asked, "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Abigail and Patrick…" Howard trailed off. "Our birth parents names are Stella Michaud and Roy Helmsley."

"That doesn't make any sense. They had no problem telling me my last name was Helmsley. Why would they lie about the rest?"

"I don't know the story, Hunter. Not all of it. But they were hiding something and it started as soon as we were born."

"I'm getting a headache," Hunter muttered.

"Or, rather…as soon as you died."

"What?" Hunter asked with widened hazel eyes. "How – did I knock you into another dimension when I kicked your ass?" He asked seriously. This was ridiculous. Clearly, he wasn't dead. He was sitting right the fuck here having this illogical conversation.

"Don't flatter yourself. That was a tie at best…big brother."

Hunter shook his head slowly. "You don't know that I'm-"

"Yes," Howard interrupted. "I do." He reached in the back pocket of his ruined cargo pants and pulled out a small wad of papers, covered in protective plastic. He kind of wanted to point out the coincidence – that he really hadn't predicted the fight or being soaked with water, but had thought to protect the documents anyway. He handed the bundle to Hunter and waited silently while his brother perused. He watched him go from confusion, to anger, shock and everything in between. It was a lot to take in, Howard knew. He'd been floored when he read the documents. For Hunter it had to be much worse since he was the one listed as dead and had been raised by people who probably weren't their parents.

When Hunter finished, he placed the papers back in their pouch and squeezed them in his hands tightly. Suddenly he stood up and turned to Howard. "Why?"

Howard shook his head. "I don't have the answers for what all these people did over three decades ago."

"Why did you tell me any of this?" Hunter asked. "You could've kept this shit to yourself!" He shouted, throwing the papers at Howard.

"I thought you should know the truth."

"I would've never known the fucking difference! It doesn't even _make _a difference because I haven't seen Patrick or Abigail in almost 30 years. This changes nothing! It doesn't change the fact that I grew up with people who abused and mistreated-"

Now Howard stood up. "If it makes no difference, then why are you so fucking angry?"

"I'm angrybecause you show up here after all this time, being an asshole, picking a fight and then turn around and act like you know what's best for me. You don't know shit about me."

"That's where you're wrong, big brother. I know that you wonder what became of the people that raised you. I'm not as dumb as you think. I could tell by the way you talked about them. I know how it haunts you…how the things they did and the way they made you feel comes popping up when you least expect it."

"You know nothing, Howard!"

"Oh, I know. Because I get that way, too," Howard admitted. "Just from a different set of parents."

"Don't you even _think _to compare my parents to yours," Hunter warned.

"Take it easy…I'm not. I'm just saying I get it. And besides…those people might not have even been your parents. Maybe one of them was. Maybe neither. Maybe they were con-artists or identity thieves. Who the hell knows? I say we find out. At worst, this can only lead to finding out Patrick and Abigail just made up names for the streets or something. But my gut says you were kidnapped and the idiot hospital listed you as dead to cover it up."

Hunter walked to the edge of the pool and stared down into the water. He couldn't see his reflection, really. His massive body was casting a shadow in between the beautiful swirls of blue, though. Is that what he was, really? A shadow of a person – without origin or echo…his very existence being a result of the distribution of light around somebody else? No. No, that couldn't be it. Regardless of where he came from or what happened in the past, he was here. And he mattered.

Hunter felt Howard clap his hand against his shoulder. "Don't touch me," he said.

Howard moved his hand away and nodded. "What are we gonna do about this situation?"

"Nothing."

"You don't want to try to find them? Stella and Roy," he clarified.

"No. Whoever they are and whatever happened, they still gave you up. Had I not supposedly died, they'd have probably done the same with me. If they gave a fuck, I haven't exactly been hard to find given my career."

Howard shrugged. "Sometimes chicks ran up to me calling me Triple H…and since those are my initials I just went with it. I didn't give it any thought. I didn't know who you were."

"You didn't even know I existed."

"It's possible our parents didn't either. They thought you died, Hunter. Maybe that's the reason they gave me up. Maybe they couldn't stand to look at me and think of the twin they lost. How the hell should I know?"

"You got all those papers from your adopted parents. Right?"

Howard nodded.

"That's _your_ history, then. Not mine. Look, if you want to find Stella and Roy, I'm not stopping you. Just leave me out of it." With that, Hunter turned and brushed past Howard.

"This is our parents, Hunter!" Howard said as he grabbed Hunter's arm to keep him from walking away any further. "Somewhere out there is a woman that carried us around for 9 months. I don't know her face, but her name is Stella Michaud. I don't know if she was in a relationship with Roy or if it was a random hookup. But I bet they think of us. They wonder about the boys they gave away-"

Hunter finally shook of his brother's arm and turned around. "I was dead to them! Remember? And after all this time, they just might be dead themselves."

"How the fuck can you be that callous?" Howard asked in pure astonishment.

"I can be that callous because my entire life until adulthood was complete shit. The only thing that turned it around was bodybuilding, wrestling, Stephanie and my kids – in that order! Up until you came fucking popping up again, _this _was the happiest I've ever been. You're not gonna ruin it by having me chase around ghosts of the past."

The younger twin guffawed darkly, pushing the bundle of documentation into his brother's chest. "Our past? It's very much alive, Hunter. Or haven't you noticed?" He asked thoughtfully and backed away, leaving the papers to fall to the ground.

* * *

><p>#foreshadowing #notsayingwhere<p>

Also, boom! Howard said something philosophical that actually shut Hunter down. #served

Drop your thoughts!


	7. Shut Up

Upon entering the house, Hunter practically dragged himself into the living room. He sat down on the couch and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. A million thoughts were racing through his mind. Most of them were angry or confused ones. So, either he'd been kidnapped or his biological parents were even more deceitful than he originally thought. The only purpose he could see in them lying about their names was to avoid a giant hospital bill or to evade some crime. Knowing them, they had a rap sheet that was as long as he was tall. But it still didn't quite make sense. Being that they'd tried to raise him as a criminal, they could've been honest about their names and trained him to keep his mouth shut.

Hunter had no idea how much time had gone by until he suddenly felt someone touch his arm. He was visibly startled but quickly recognized the touch as belonging to his wife.

Stephanie's eyebrows drew together in concern and she slowly removed her hand. "I didn't mean to scare you," she apologized.

"You didn't," he said. Stephanie gave him a disbelieving look, which forced him to sigh. "You didn't scare me _much…_I just didn't realize you were there."

"You seemed to be in really deep thought. I was trying to wait until you snapped out of it, but-"

"How long have you been down here?"

"A couple minutes," she said lightly. "I was just gonna tell you that Leah called. She'll be here with the kids in about an hour and a half."

"Cool." Hunter pushed his hair out of his face and said nothing else.

"Hunter," she said cautiously. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

Stephanie nodded. At least that was an honest answer. If he had said everything was fine she'd have called bullshit. Her husband looked like the weight of the fucking world had been dropped squarely on his shoulders. She had no clue what Howard had said to make him feel this way…but it was taking every bit of restraint she had not to let her blood start boiling at the mere thought of the smug jerk. After causing nothing but havoc last year, he popped up out of nowhere and seemed poised to repeat his behavior. The difference was that her marriage to Hunter was stronger than it ever had been. They wouldn't be put out of sorts with each other so easily this time.

Because they were very in sync, she knew better than to push him to explain his change in demeanor. She was both concerned and curious…but history told her that when he was upset, poking at him for an explanation did nothing but cause him to lash out. Yes, he realized his anger was misdirected and he apologized afterwards. But she'd learned it was much better to simply let him know she was available to him emotionally. He'd open up when he was ready _and _it would be without him getting into an argument with her.

The brunette leaned down and gave her husband a soft, lingering kiss. "I'm here for you, you know," she said. When Hunter shook his head in the affirmative, she placed another kiss to his uninjured cheek.

After that, she intended to pull away. It seemed like a good idea to get started on dinner since Hunter was processing his feelings and the kids were due back shortly. Instead, a massive arm came around her waist and dragged her down to the couch. Rather, to Hunter's lap. "Okay!" She exclaimed at the suddenness right before his lips crashed against hers. It was horrible but she couldn't help to think back the time he kissed her in the ring after beating Kurt Angle. That happened so quick and so hard that she'd checked her lips repeatedly to make sure they weren't busted. Before she could contemplate any further, she ended up on her back.

Without even thinking much about it, she wrapped her legs around him. This was…pretty hot. She'd be lying if she said she didn't like it a bit rough sometimes. But a minute later her lips were on the verge of aching and it seemed her husband had lost the wherewithal to realize he could easily squash her. She attempted to talk but it came out as a whispering mumble against his lips. She turned her head just enough to say clearly, "Hunter. Stop." She took a deep breath as he shifted some weight to his hands and pushed off of her completely. She remained silent as she watched him resume his prior position; resting his forearms on his knees. That…wasn't what she wanted or expected. All she needed was for him to move a little. What the hell just happened?

"God! I'm – I'm. Steph, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," she said, brushing him off because she wasn't really sure why he seemed so shaken. "I just-"

"No!" He interrupted harshly and finally looked at her. Now she was even more confused. The look in his eyes was a strange combination of anger, sadness and something else she couldn't put her finger on. She was baffled. "It's not fine," he disagreed. "I did exactly what we promised each other we wouldn't."

"Huh?" Stephanie asked in complete seriousness.

"Using each other physically when we're pissed off at other people," he reminded her.

Oh. Right. They'd agreed to that years ago, reaching the conclusion that it was selfish as hell to do that. How could one possibly be focused on pleasing their partner, all the while seeing red while thinking of some other person? It tainted the act, so to speak. Not that she'd been thinking of any of that when she decided to stop him. That happened strictly because it was becoming difficult to breathe.

"The only reason I stopped is because you were kinda crushing me," she said lightly.

"I almost hurt you," he muttered despondently and looked away from her again.

"But you didn't," she insisted. "And I know you wouldn't."

"Of course I wouldn't hurt you when my head is clear…But I wasn't paying attention to you at all, Steph."

Stephanie sighed and grabbed his chin to force him to look at her. The man was entirely stubborn…determined to beat himself up over a completely ridiculous hypothetical situation. "Yes, you _were_ paying attention. I said stop and you didn't hesitate to."

"But-"

She kissed him quickly to quiet his protests. "Shut up. No buts. I'm not letting you do this to yourself."

"What if-"

"Damn it! I said shut up, Hunter," she echoed more forcefully. The pure fire in her blue eyes kept him from making a peep while she figured out how to word her thoughts. "I've never been passive about our love life. In fact before we fixed our communication in other places, that was the one area we always got right. If one of us was uncomfortable or wanted to try something different, we spoke up. I was uncomfortable just now, so I said something. That's it." She saw him open his mouth to respond again. "Shut up."

Hunter blinked. He was a bit stunned at her outburst. Then again, he supposed that the fact she was getting angry with him over this was a good sign. It meant that he hadn't actually done the damage that he feared he had. The last thing he wanted was for Stephanie to feel that he abused her trust, physically speaking. And God forbid she be afraid of him. Judging by the fact she just yelled at him and told him to shut up several times, he was willing to say that neither of those things had occurred.

Stephanie reached up and rubbed his cheek affectionately. She still couldn't help but be insanely attracted to the scruffy beard, but for the moment she ignored that fact. "We can make up for this later. But first…maybe you should tell me why you were upset before," she suggested quietly.

Hunter raised his eyebrows. "I'm allowed to talk now?" He asked.

A small, relieved laugh escaped her while she grabbed his hand. She kissed his palm and said, "Yes. As long as nothing crazy comes out of that mouth of yours."

"I may have been kidnapped soon after I was born."

Promptly, Stephanie dropped his hand and her eyes went wide. "Wait…what?"

Hunter proceeded to tell her everything that he knew so far. The documents would somewhat aide in the explanation. But something about leaving them outside was comforting. Almost like he wasn't totally wrapped up in the situation if he kept the damn things out of his house. Hunter also went over the various speculations that had been mentioned.

Stephanie was entirely shocked, to say the least. Mostly, she felt terrible for Hunter. Her husband had finally, truly made peace with his past. He'd forgiven everyone that had made his life a living hell, determined not to do the same thing to the people he cared about. He was lighter and freer than she'd ever seen him. He was happy. And his happiness wasn't at all related to circumstances. It had nothing to do with their money or his career. Those things were constantly evolving, changing and honestly could be taken away at any time by forces beyond their control. Hunter's true happiness had come from setting down the burden he'd been carrying around his entire life. And as a result, the way he viewed and behaved with his family had improved. Not that it had ever been "bad"…but things were still tangibly better. It was subtle, but it was there.

Now, Hunter's past had crept up again. Only this time it had changed so drastically that Hunter couldn't even recognize it. He couldn't process it adequately if he didn't even know what it was. Unless he chose to forget about the whole damn thing and just focus on the present. Stephanie couldn't say that she'd be capable of that, if their situations were reversed. She was completely out of her league on how the hell to help him.

"I'm…wow," Stephanie started. "That's a lot to take in."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I mean it would be one thing if Howard popped up with anything definitive. I could take the info and just find a way to deal. Instead he brings me a fucking can of worms and more questions than answers."

"Do you think maybe he wants you guys to find the answers together?"

"No," Hunter said without pausing to even think about the answer. "Howard doesn't think about anything except Howard. He probably got curious himself and is too shit-lazy to look into this mess. So he figured he'd drag me into it to do the work for him. It's bullshit and I don't need it."

Well, Hunter had been dragged into the Howard bullshit regardless of his wishes. So it was his - actually _their _bullshit, considering she was married to one of the blondes. If you asked her (or anyone else with half a brain) she was married to the better of the two, by far. As the person she was spending her life with, anything that affected him had an effect on her. And seeing the effects taking place on her husband already made her want to punch out the twin she thankfully was not married to. "You're right…everything about this is bullshit. But unfortunately it's your bullshit now, too."

"I don't want it," he muttered under his breath.

"You don't have to take it. Promise me something, though."

"Yeah?" He asked.

"If," she said slowly and paused, solely to emphasize that he had a choice. "If you decide to investigate…no matter what you find, come back to me and the kids as yourself."

Hunter turned his body so that he was facing her more. He tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean?"

Stephanie smiled wistfully and linked her fingers through his. "I remember the very first time that Jack got sick. The poor little guy couldn't even sleep despite being super drained unless one of us was holding him. I volunteered to stay up with him so you could rest and you completely refused. In fact, you hardly let me hold the baby. I was annoyed at first. I felt that maybe you thought I was a terrible mother and you didn't trust me to take care of Jack while he wasn't well. But that wasn't it at all. Just by the way you looked at him I could see it meant a lot to you, to be as involved with our kid as you could. You didn't even care that you'd spend the majority of the next day flying across the country to wrestle. You wanted to be right there, sacrificing just as much as I was. That's another of the many moments that made me fall in love with you all over again, Hunter."

Although Hunter was truly touched, he still eyed her quizzically. "Why have I never heard the details of this story before?"

The brunette's shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I wasn't very good about letting you know how much I love you…or that I was paying attention to small, wonderful details about you. I admit that."

"You fixed that," he corrected.

Stephanie nodded. "I have more little moments and stories that I've neglected to mention. They'll probably come up randomly," she told him with a smile. "Despite my lack of openness, that night really did drive home that you were an awesome father and husband. I don't have words for what I think of you now. But whatever it is, promise me you won't lose it even if what you discover about your past isn't positive."

"I promise, Steph."

"Thank you," she told him sincerely.

Stephanie glanced over towards the entertainment center, noting the time displayed on the cable box. Seeing as she'd calmed him down considerably, they wouldn't technically be violating their aforementioned promise. "We've got a little under an hour left to ourselves."

"Hmm," he muttered thoughtfully but otherwise did nothing to acknowledge what she said. Honestly, he was still a little spooked from earlier and unwilling to take initiative. Even though Stephanie seemed completely unfazed, he would just wait it out. He'd keep his hands, lips and everything else to himself for the time being. If she truly wasn't put off by what happened earlier, she would eventually take the lead.

Stephanie could tell that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him right now. Yet Hunter didn't do anything except look at her. Judging by how freaked out he got at the idea that he may have hurt her, the hesitation made sense. She swung her long legs around until she was straddling his lap. "Hi," she told him brightly, resting her hands against his chest.

"Hi," he returned with a small smile.

Thanks to her peripheral vision, she was made aware of the fact that he was stretching and bending his fingers. The rate of the movements was too fast for it to be casual. Nope, he was trying to manage nervousness. His hands remained firmly at his sides, like he was afraid to put them anywhere on her. She assumed plopping down in his lap would do the trick as far as breaking down the unnecessary wall he'd put up. But perhaps what he needed was an unmistakable invitation. She moved her own hands up to his face and enjoyed his beard in all its wonderful, scruffy glory. "Fine," she finally said. "I'll just maul you."

The vibration of his light chuckle against her mouth made her smile. Their lips moved together smoothly and unhurriedly, but with that underlying all-consuming passion that never quite went away. It was a wonder that they even carved out time to be good parents and productive employees.

To Hunter's dismay, Stephanie broke the kiss long before it was necessary for actual survival. He was about to complain, but Stephanie placed her index finger over his pouting lips. "Shut up," she said. Although this time he smiled because she was obviously being playful about it. "I kissed you first," she pointed out. "So touch me second."

"Yes dear," he answered with a smirk.

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><p>Well! I'd say that when I come off a hiatus, I make quite a splash (you know, by updating rapidly...at least before I inevitably disappear again LOL). Hope you all enjoyed that! Thanks much for all the reviews on the latest chapters.<p>

As far as Raging Impulse? Nah, doesn't irritate me that you're asking. I'm just not very likely to pen it since I've got a chaotic schedule, on top of various unfinished fic running around on this site already (THAT irritates me. I hate leaving stories unfinished lol). I'll never say never about picking that or any other fic up again. But for the immediate future it isn't a priority. Brink (and before that, Borderline) I can crank out much easier than the others because it's really just drama-fluff. The other fics have mental disorders, insane stalkers, mystery, kidnapping and all other sorts of stuff that just takes more energy to plan out. So, no promises! I don't make em if I'm not positive I can keep em! :)

Now...with other requests I've been getting. I will not (not, not, NOT) ever write an incest fic. Like ever. Just no. For so many reasons no. I don't do slash - just not my thing. And pairing Hunter/Steph with other people...isn't a completely absurd thought...but as it isn't my forte it's probably better to ask someone who does actual legit relationship Hunter/some chick or Steph/some guy. The only other WWE'ers I really paid enough attention to, to make a major part of a story are: Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Trish Stratus and Lita. The Rock doesn't count because pairing him with Stephanie would just be no. LOL.


	8. Father's Day

Thought I'd go ahead and finish this up while I had a couple hours of free time. And also since I'm late for having this out on Father's Day lol. This will probably be the last update for a bit, as my schedule is ridic for at least the next week. So enjoy this and drop your thoughts!

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><p>Hunter picked up another greeting card. It was decorated beautifully and had an outlined drawing of a father holding his young daughter's hand. The cursive writing above the photo read: For my hero on Father's Day.<p>

In other words? Stephanie was probably going to hate it. Today, they just couldn't win it seemed. Every card was either too playful or too sentimental. Although Stephanie loved Vince, she wasn't willing to overstate his involvement or his positive contributions to her life. Hunter didn't pass judgment on her for that. Vince had been an absentee father during her childhood and adolescence. And during her adult life he'd mostly tried to manipulate or use her for some advantage when it came to business. Therefore every card that droned on and on about precious father-daughter memories or how well Dad had always protected and supported her were immediately put back where they came from.

"This is impossible," Stephanie muttered under her breath beside him. With obvious annoyance, she flipped a card shut and stuck it back with the others. She leaned over to sneak a peek at the card in her husband's hand.

Hunter watched her in partial amusement while her blue eyes scanned the words. Simultaneously her face was showing exactly what she was thinking. That wasn't a bad thing…he was glad that she was open enough to share her feelings with him. The only reason this was entertaining is because he could tell that she wasn't pleased, but continued to read anyway.

"Ugh," she said. "No." With that, she pulled the card from Hunter's hands and put it with identical looking ones.

Hunter reached out and rubbed her back reassuringly. "I'm not sure there's any cards in here you haven't looked at," he joked mildly.

Stephanie cracked a small smile and ran a hand through her hair. "Who knew card buying was so difficult…"

Lifting his shoulders in a shrug he asked, "Do you want to try another store?"

"Not really," Stephanie admitted with a shake of her head. "This is stupid anyway. I've never given my Dad a card along with his Father's Day gifts."

"And _that_, my dear wife is how we ended up in this mess today," he pointed out.

Acquiescing defeat, Stephanie sighed out loud. How was she supposed to know that this would be the year that Vince actually made himself available for Mother's Day? Usually he was at the Stamford office, out of the state or out of the damn country entirely. Or so he said. One really never knew what Vince McMahon was up to unless you saw him with your own two eyes. At any rate, this year he was around and happened to make an offhanded comment about Stephanie giving Linda a card with her gift. Linda hadn't thought much of it when she responded that she always received a card from her daughter.

A glance…one look from her father (that her mother hadn't seen) was all it took for Stephanie to realize she would have to wade through Father's Day cards this year. Her father's stare had been reprimanding, offended and hurt all in one. Vince was well aware that he had been on shaky grounds with Stephanie more often than not up until very recently. Not getting him a card had nothing to do with her being a bitch. It had to do with the fact that he was often a shitty, absentee Dad and nearly all Father's Day cards praised the men as if they were practically saints.

Stephanie wasn't going to lie. Not even though a greeting card. Hunter respected that she stood her ground on the honesty part, but was realistic about the likely chain of events should she not get the old man a damn card. The events were: drama, drama, drama.

"Maybe I can send an e-card," Stephanie piped in suddenly.

Hunter's eyebrows lifted fractionally. "An e-card?"

"Yeah! There's more variety on the internet. Maybe I can even customize it some."

Hunter chuckled at the mere thought of that. "I can see it now, 'Wish you were there for me, but you weren't! Happy Father's Day.'"

"Baby, that's not funny."

To prove his point, he poked his index finger to the highly cute indent in her cheek. "That dimple only shows when you're smiling…or – like now - trying to fight a smile."

"Fine," she relented. "It's funny but it's not helpful."

"Humor," he began as he dragged her over into his arms. "Will keep you from stressing yourself out. If Vince wanted a nice, normal, very appreciative Father's Day card then he should have been a better Dad. The things he has and hasn't done aren't your fault. So it's not your responsibility to make him feel all warm inside as if he's been superdad."

Stephanie buried her head into his chest and groaned. "I just want everybody to be happy."

"You can't fix everything for everyone, Steph. Certainly not at the expense of your own happiness. If it really bothers you to get your Dad a mushy card, then don't do it. Get something a little more neutral."

"Thank you," she said, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Anytime."

"Not just for that…but for being such a great Dad. Our kids won't have these kinds of problems when they're older. Everything else can be shit, but at least they won't be conflicted over what cards to get us on holidays."

Hunter laughed at her and turned his head to spy on the three aforementioned small humans. Unsurprisingly, Stephanie's duplicates were huddled together looking for cards. This was the first year that they decided the kids could pick the cards totally on their own. Normally, one of the parents would select and read the card until they finally found one that was suitable and that the kids agreed with. For Mother's Day, Hunter had basically spent his time in the store searching for cards for the women in his life. Meanwhile the kids had been ten feet down the aisle, reading and sorting through the cards themselves. Allowing them this bit of independence was pretty safe; it was nearly impossible to pick an awful greeting card. So when their choices were approved, it gave each kid a sense of pride.

"Helmsley kids!" Hunter called out to them, waiting until they looked in his direction. "Finding anything you like?"

What happened next was a total blur for Hunter and Stephanie. Simultaneously, the kids began talking about what they had, while waving several cards to demonstrate. As usual, the twins were the most animated when it came to describing what they'd picked up. Jack seemed to be close to making a decision as he only had a couple of cards on his hand. Meanwhile the twins' had what could be considered a small pile of mostly sparkly cards.

Stephanie tugged on Hunter's arm lightly after the kids had turned back to their task. "Did you catch any of that?"

Hunter laughed out loud and admitted, "Nope."

Stephanie stayed put and continued to scan through Father's Day cards. Meanwhile Hunter went to go help the kids narrow their choices down. Otherwise, they'd be in this store all afternoon. After a few minutes, Stephanie rejoined her family and asked Hunter, "What do you think of this one?"

Hunter took the card from his wife and read aloud, "To Dad, From Daughter and Son-In-Law." Hunter eyed Stephanie suspiciously. "Oh yeah, drag me into it."

"Of course," she told him with a grin. She watched as he scanned through the card and nodded his approval. The card wasn't particularly emotional. It kept things simple by wishing the recipient a wonderful day filled with love, happiness, family and other things.

With the huge family Father's Day dinner slated to begin in just under three hours, they kind of needed to haul ass here. They had to head home and get themselves and the kids all cleaned up and fancy.

* * *

><p>Hunter stepped up to the passenger side of the car and said, "I'll do that. Thanks." He extended his hand to help Stephanie out of the car. He'd allowed the valet service to open the door…mostly because they beat him to it. But she didn't need that additional assistance when she had a perfectly capable husband standing just a few feet away.<p>

Stephanie rolled her eyes and smirked at him as she placed her slender hand in his.

Fine, so he also didn't want random men getting the opportunity to touch her unnecessarily. Clearly he hadn't fooled Stephanie. He got her to the curb and then turned back to grab Karmina and Kaycee's hands, while Jackson walked in front of them.

Hunter went back to the valet stand and tipped the guys well, despite the fact that they were still making obvious googly eyes at Stephanie. Honestly, he couldn't blame them. Given that she was already a natural beauty, adding some ruby red lipstick, black eyeliner and glittery, charcoal eyeshadow was just cruel. It's not as if her eyes and lips didn't already stand out for being exceptional. What the hell was she trying to do by enhancing them – kill her husband? Jesus. And then she had the nerve to put on mascara. Fucking mascara! Her eyelashes were already longer than average anyway. With the mascara, they were basically damn windshield wipers for her incredible blue eyes.

And that dress…damn her! The silky, deep red material stopped right at her knees – appropriate for the venue and occasion. But he couldn't fathom why it was designed in a way that called attention to his most favorite features of hers. Her hair was crinkled and pulled back from her face with a large banana hair clip. The length of her hair swayed from side to side, essentially playing peek-a-boo with her exposed upper back.

Hunter shook his head to try to rid it of highly impure thoughts. He instructed the employees on the boxes and gift bags in the back of their truck. The gifts would be brought in right after the family was seated. All of this had been coordinated beforehand by Marissa. Hunter just wanted to double check the details.

Stephanie looked over her shoulder at him as he lingered behind. She smiled a little too innocently and blew him a kiss. It was official: between her attire and makeup choices, she was indeed trying to actually kill him. It was best if he focused on other things.

Like the twins; who were completely adorable in identical chiffon dresses. Karmina was wearing pink, while Kaycee chose purple. It seemed the two of them were starting to gravitate towards having those as their favorite colors. Thank God for that, now it would be easier for people to tell the girls apart.

Hunter reached Stephanie in just a few short strides. Each parent grabbed a girl's hand. Stephanie looped her arm through Hunter's and asked, "Did you see something you like?"

"Leave me alone," he told her. His tone was serious, but his eyes were playful and affectionate. Obviously, he didn't mean it literally.

Stephanie snorted as she tried to contain her laugh. She knew good and well what his problem was. But pretending that she didn't was just downright hilarious. "Why? What did I do?"

"That outfit, the makeup. Hell, even the hair…Just…don't even look at me right now."

Hunter was clad in black slacks, a royal blue button down shirt, covered by a black vest. He skipped wearing a tie, but the outfit was still plenty formal enough. He'd trimmed the scruffy beard because he felt it was getting to Jesus-like length. But he'd left more than the usual, solely for her. "I want to look at you, though. I love you and you're extremely handsome tonight," she told him in a pitifully whiny voice.

Oh for God's sake. Even though this entire conversation was in jest, he couldn't keep up the joke when she said things like that. Instead of responding verbally, he just shook his head and leaned down to peck her on the lips. Stephanie grinned like a smitten teenager and started pulling him along towards the inside of the hotel. "I don't know why I put up with this abuse," he muttered thoughtfully.

"Because I reward you for your tolerance?"

"Maybe."

"Because you kinda have a thing for me?" She teased.

Hunter chuckled. "Understatement of the century."

Jackson was wearing tailored, dark blue pants and a light blue, button down shirt. They had tried to convince him to throw on a blazer, vest or something but the boy declined. Given his affinity for tees, jeans and shorts, they were just grateful to have gotten him into something semi-formal without much protest. "There's Grandpop!" He suddenly commented, pointing across the lobby.

"Good eye, kid," Hunter told him.

"Are DJ and Jen coming, too?" Kaycee asked, looking up at Stephanie as she walked beside her.

"They are," the brunette answered as the family of five picked up the pace to catch up to Vince.

They reached him just as he approached the hostess of the restaurant. "McMahon," he uttered in his usually gruff voice.

"Hey Dad!" Stephanie said as they walked up behind him.

"Steph!" Vince exclaimed, grabbing his daughter in a hug. "Hunter," he said, shaking hands with the somewhat bigger man. "And how are the Steph-Hunter clones?"

"Good," the three kids responded in unison.

"Grandpop, we got you gifts!" Karmina squealed.

"You did, did you?" Vince asked, crouching down to her height.

"Yeah," Kaycee agreed. "We picked it all by ourselves."

"All by yourself?" He asked, giving the twins a hilariously shocked face. "I'm that special?"

"Silly!" The twins said. "You're grandpop!"

Stephanie cracked an amused smile as she and Hunter released the twins' hands. Immediately they latched on to Vince and followed behind the hostess who was escorting them to the table. It wasn't even a full second before Jack wandered along after them.

Hunter glanced at Stephanie, noticing the happy little expression on her face She didn't immediately move forward after them, but he did see the happiness slowly fade to neutrality. He didn't need to ask for clarification…she'd already verbalized her gratitude that Vince was a better and more involved grandfather than he had been a father. Seeing Vince act so astounded and proud at every little thing her children said or did truly warmed her heart. The kids absolutely adored him and Stephanie allowed the relationship to flourish. But at the same time, she knew better than to fully trust her kids' well-being to her father. The incidents were few and far between now, but her father still had a tendency to be an opportunist when it came to business. She didn't know what schemes Jackson and the twins could potentially become a part of, but she'd be damned if she allowed it to happen. They were too young and too innocent to be caught up in Vince's shit.

Thus far, Vince hadn't pulled any tricks, so her opinion that he was a good grandfather still remained. Hunter sincerely hoped that Vince didn't revert to his old ways with his grandkids. Stephanie had _barely_ forgiven Vince for his negligent, shitty parenting of her. But she was an adult and could process and make conclusions on her own. If Vince involved any of the kids in something, he knew for a fact that Stephanie would never forgive him for it. And that's only if he lived after Hunter was through with him.

Beside him, Stephanie sighed and decided to clutch his hand instead of his arm.

"You can't condemn him for something he hasn't done," Hunter said lowly.

"I know…he's changed, Hunter. Just not enough for me to be sure he won't try to use any of them."

"We'll prevent that as much as we can. At the end of the day, we have more influence over our kids than your Dad does."

Stephanie rubbed her temple briefly. "I feel like I'm going crazy for stewing over hypothetical situations that involve my Dad being a terrible human being again."

Hunter laughed and pressed a kiss to her cheek as he began to lead her towards the table. "Shane hasn't said it explicitly. But he stresses about the same thing where it concerns his kids. He probably hasn't told you because he doesn't want you to worry. Since you're worrying anyway, talk to him about it later."

"Good idea," Stephanie said. The first people she spotted were Marissa's parents. She waved at them with genuine excitement. As the rest of the large group came into view, Hunter and Stephanie dismissed their fears for the moment. They were beaming and at ease, as if the entire conversation hadn't happened.

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><p>Anybody dying at the thought of Jack and the twins all dressed up? It's all so adorable in my head, lol. Also, the prior chapters took place sometime in May. So it's been a few weeks since the Howard mess at this point. Just an FYI. Later, people!<p> 


	9. Father's Day, part 2

I'll address some of the reviews here, individually. Because I'm cool like that and want to acknowledge ppl I've never seen comment before. Lol

Lel: This chapter will address the "Hunter being left out" aspect

Ken: prepare your OTP feels for more mush. Lol

Everyone else: although there's much fluff and cuteness, we are going to start exploring the "Hunter has no relatives" thing in this chapter. I wouldn't say it's drama, per se. Mostly just passing the time with this one but it gives a bit of insight on how Hunter and Stephanie have grown to be more open and considerate with each other. It'll kill the feels, I'm telling ya. I cannot confirm or deny Vince's involvement with Howard at this time. Because spoilers, whether it's a yes or a no. I'm more than happy to give spoilers, but not here where it may ruin it for people. Anyone who has specific questions on future stuff, PM me here or on twitter (ThatSoCalGal). Thanks for the reviews guys (Michelle, Nikki, Britt, I adore you for the consistency!). Enjoy and let me know what ya think!

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><p>Stephanie balanced a totally unconscious Karmina against her and used her elbow to push open the door to the kitchen. Thank God she'd chosen to wear a relatively low pair of heels tonight. Otherwise, she'd have to be barefoot for this. She held the door open long enough for Hunter to reach it. He had a sleeping Kaycee and Jackson attached to either side of him.<p>

Needless to say, dinner had gone on way longer than anyone had anticipated. Although the adults could be stimulated by conversation, it was little wonder that her kids were on the verge of being knocked out before they'd even left the restaurant.

They kicked off their shoes in the general area of the closet. As they wandered through the lower level of the house, Stephanie asked quietly, "How do you want to do this?"

"Get Karm in bed then just grab Sam from me. That'll free me up to put the boy to bed."

"I really don't feel like bothering with getting anyone into pajamas," she admitted with a sigh. Not only was it time-consuming, but there was indeed a chance that it would wake up one or more of the kids.

"Let them stay in the clothes. We'll figure the rest out in the morning," he suggested with a light chuckle.

Stephanie mused that they better enjoy this convenience while they could. More than likely, within the next year it wouldn't be such a simple matter to get all their sleeping children into their respective rooms in one trip. There'd be an infant around that time and that would make the task impossible. Either a kid was going to have to wake up and walk or somebody was getting left in the car temporarily. The former idea sounded better to her – she was never keen on leaving any child in the car. Even if it was only for a few minutes.

They reached the twins' bedroom a few moments later. The night light situated by the chest of drawers illuminated the room enough to avoid having to flick on a brighter one. Stephanie adjusted her first duplicate so that she could pull back the covers. Hunter pressed a kiss to the little girl's cheek before watching his wife place her in the bed.

Hunter pressed a kiss into Kaycee's hair and passed her over to her mother. He left the room, carrying Jackson down the hall to his own.

Stephanie walked around to the other side of the bed and easily placed the girl down without waking her. She smiled warmly at the girls, pulling the covers up over them. They were just so cute being totally unconscious in their adorable dresses. She pulled the door shut as quietly as she could and headed down the hallway. The door to Jack's room was slightly ajar. She didn't bother trying to hide her smile. Hunter was without a doubt the most thoughtful man she'd ever been in a relationship with. He knew her and her habits so well that he didn't even bother closing the boy's door because she'd open it right after. Not that having to twist a knob and push was any real effort at all. But that was Hunter where it concerned her: he managed to make simple tasks even simpler.

She walked to the side of the bed that he was – mostly – sprawled across. How the child managed to lie out like a chalk outline so quickly, she'd never know. She pushed the hair out of his face and leaned down to kiss to his cheek.

As she made the somewhat short trek to her own room, she considered. She reprimanded herself for her former thought. To say that Hunter was the most thoughtful man she'd ever been in a relationship with was a ridiculous understatement. None of her former bonds were even on the same planet – let alone the same level – as the one she had with Hunter. Even before they were truly united, she was still deeply in love with him. Perhaps she lacked the ability…or was just plain blind to the fact she wasn't doing all she could to show him that. But the fact of the matter is that the feelings had always been there.

Why else would she have married and had babies by the man? There'd never been any doubt in her mind that he was the love of her life. Her first _true _love, to be brutally honest.

Honestly, her life was fucking amazing and it had nothing to do with her career in WWE or any of the other external shit going on. Her husband was wonderful, very affectionate and just so happened to be insanely handsome. Their children were spirited, loving and adorable. There was nothing else that she wanted in life, except for her family to continue to flourish. Well…and to add another member to it pretty soon.

Stephanie closed her bedroom door and padded over to the lake-sized bed. She let out a loud, exaggerated sigh and flopped onto her stomach, facedown.

From the chaise lounge, Hunter started laughing at her. "Tired?" He asked.

Stephanie propped her head up using her hands and said, "A little. Mostly I'm being dramatic."

Hunter lifted an eyebrow and continued unbuttoning his shirt. He decided to bite. "How come?"

Stephanie bent her knees and casually rubbed her feet together. "Maybe I want your attention."

"Well…let's assume that's the answer. What else would you want from me?"

"Love," she said cutely. "I like love."

"Hmm," he muttered thoughtfully, getting up from the chaise. "Any ideas on how I could give you both at the same time?"

Stephanie grinned at him brightly and answered, "A kiss might do it." His smile warmed her heart and she pushed up to her knees as he reached her. He lifted his hand and brushed stray wisps of hair from her face. He leaned down a little and she met him halfway for a brief kiss that was still filled with passion.

"Satisfied?" He asked her with a teasing glint in his hazel eyes.

"For now," she answered, extending her hands to him in a silent plea for help getting off the bed.

Hunter chuckled and ignored her hands, instead picking her up by the waist and setting her on the floor.

They continued getting settled for the night in a very comfortable silence. Stephanie's blissfully happy thoughts continued on.

Hunter on the other hand? Well, he had something that he wanted to talk to his wife about. It wasn't an overly huge deal, but he did want to clear the air about it anyway. He kept his eyes away from her while she changed clothes; he didn't trust himself not to become distracted by her. Once she had pajamas on he did allow his gaze to linger. Apparently she'd chosen a camisole and a pair of laughingly miniscule silk, drawstring shorts. It was a matching set and the color reminded him of the inside of a plum.

"Steph," he said to get her attention, scratching at his bare stomach absently for a moment.

Stephanie removed the clip from her hair and tousled it with her hands. She turned around and asked, "Yeah?"

"I know what you were up to tonight."

"With the outfit and stuff? I wasn't trying to keep that a secret from you," she told him with a laugh and sat down at the edge of the bed.

Hunter smiled at her because he'd figured as much. Although it was still pretty amusing to hear her admit it out loud. "Not that. I mean the way you somehow managed to include me in every single conversation you were in."

"Oh," she said, furrowing her brow. "I didn't want you to feel left out.

Hunter sat down on the bed next to her and touched her leg for a moment. "If your parents, Marissa's or…whomever is talking to you about something I have zero interest in or knowledge of, you don't have to redirect the conversation so that I can participate."

"It's just – with so many of my relatives in a closed space…I figured…" she trailed off.

He sighed. "We're coming up on ten years of marriage. This isn't the first time I've been around your family."

Stephanie grabbed his hands in her much smaller ones. She really needed for him to understand why she'd done what she had at dinner. "Hunter, listen. I've openly admitted that before very recently, I often haven't been the best wife to you that I could have been. I really have been trying my hardest lately and I can feel the difference in our marriage. When the Father's Day invite came you didn't hesitate to accept it. I know you did that more for me than yourself, baby."

Hunter shrugged. "I mean...I guess. I'm not trying to keep you from seeing your family. And for the most part I like being around them now," he pointed out.

"They raised me…sort of," she quickly amended. "But _you _and the kids are my top family. It's you that I'm spending the rest of my life with. I saw how the shit with Howard last year affected you. Now he's popped back up again, basically blowing up your entire childhood. We haven't talked much about it since that day. But don't tell me it doesn't matter because I know you too well to believe that."

Hunter looked away from her, instead choosing to stare at their joined hands. It was either going to be that or staring at the damn wall behind her. Looking at their hands was better; he could focus on the contact, knowing that it wasn't meaningless for them. They actually were joined…as marriage partners, lovers and best friends. The rings on their fingers further solidified that symbolism. When he'd still been a bachelor, bodybuilding and wrestling had begun to turn his life around in a positive way. But honestly, it was Stephanie who had the biggest impact. He just didn't quite realize it until he'd lost her entirely. He had her, the kids as well as an extended family through marriage. Howard was a fairly recent development, but the bullshit he showed up with this time was not. Whatever happened was old news. Over three decades ago to be exact. None of that had any bearing on the man that he was today. "It shouldn't matter," he told Stephanie.

Stephanie remained silent. She simply used her index finger to tilt his chin upwards and make him look at her. In her eyes he easily read the kindness and understanding. But he also saw that she looked just as unconvinced as he felt at this moment. He purposely tried not to think about the topic…but now that his time had seemingly run out for that, it really was useless denying the truth. "I don't want it to matter," he corrected.

"But it does…"

Hunter nodded and said nothing.

"That's normal," Stephanie assured him. "With all the shit going on with your absentee family, I wasn't about to leave you to fend for yourself while I talked to mine."

Hunter raised his eyebrows and was thoroughly tickled. "Fend for myself? You're making dinner sound like a survival show."

Stephanie laughed. "I felt it would have been a 'shitty wife' move if I carried on conversation like you weren't there. Seemed like it would be rubbing the whole family thing in your face."

"I get it. And I do appreciate your thoughtfulness. For the record you're a great wife."

"I try," she said, mildly bashful. She rubbed the back of his hands with her thumbs. "So, are you done trying to convince yourself the Howard/parents thing means nothing to you?"

"Guess so," he acquiesced.

Stephanie nodded and was eternally grateful that they'd finally made progress on the matter. "Even though you probably won't admit it to me out loud…doesn't it feel odd to spend _all _the holidays with my parents, Shane and whoever else shows up?"

"Well," he started, heaving out a huge breath. "I mean – I don't know…That's how it's always been. It's not like I have a side of the family we can visit instead."

True. She knew that very well. Hell, she knew that this was the case before she'd even married Hunter. Having in-laws was never on her list of reasons for wanting to get married. Wanting to be with the man she was in love with was all that mattered to her. So finding out that Hunter didn't have a family wasn't a factor in her decision at all. It's not like she'd even planned on speaking to her own family again when they'd gotten married. She'd anticipated their reaction perfectly. No one was more surprised than her when her Dad and Shane were the first to accept her marriage and try to repair the familial relationship with her and build one with Hunter.

Hunter had been cheated…just a little. They'd kind of begun their marriage relying only on each other in terms of family. And then hers came waltzing right back into her life. Shane was fine, of course. But her Dad just went right about monopolizing their time, trying to influence and take things over…and just generally being his typical Vince McMahon self. As the unintentionally shitty wife that she'd been at the time, she hadn't ever truly addressed that with Hunter. She did her best to play things right down the middle, but if it really came down to it, she sided with her Dad unless he was clearly in the wrong.

But honestly _she _was in the wrong for not realizing how her reluctance to support her husband looked. They'd finally had this discussion months ago. Along with a host of other things. Hunter hadn't brought up the fact that they'd started with an "us against the world" mentality only to have it become "Stephanie and the McMahons with Hunter on the side, against the world" mentality. Hell, maybe he didn't even realize that. But she did and she was willing to make adjustments and sacrifices to ensure it wouldn't happen again. "Would you be opposed if I suggested we don't always celebrate holidays with the McMahon clan?"

Hunter looked baffled for a moment before he asked, "Huh? Where would we go instead?"

"We can stay at home, take a trip or whatever. But it'll just be our little family celebrating."

"Baby," he said slowly. "I'm not gonna resent you because you have relatives and I don't."

"I know you won't. But it's not fair for me to have you feeling obligated to attend every last event that makes that fact so obvious."

All right, so maybe she had a point. She never outright insisted that they go to a McMahon function. Then again, she never had to. It was just kind of assumed that they'd attend simply because they had nowhere else to go. He couldn't really recall an occasion where Stephanie had asked him if he felt like or would be comfortable going to some family thing. Instead, he was largely informed of the event and he simply went along with what he assumed the plan was.

Come to think of it…tonight they'd been seated near the end of the table, by Marissa's parents. Hunter had met them dozens of times and thought they were very nice, warm people. Vince had piled all of his grandkids near his end of the table. Which meant that had Stephanie not done what she had, Hunter would have been left to make eventually awkward small talk with the Mazzola's for nearly four hours. No fucking thanks; that was his opinion. "I love you, Stephanie," he told her simply.

She smiled hugely and asked, "Is that a yes to only hanging out with me and the kiddos sometimes?"

"Yeah. I think that'll be nice."

"Good." She kept one hand in his, choosing to toy around with his wedding band. Her other hand made its way to his stubbly cheek. "Remember when I wanted a kiss for love and affection?"

Hunter smirked at her. "You're already unsatisfied?"

"Uh huh."

"You want another kiss?"

"I do," she affirmed, standing up from the bed. Hunter looked at her quizzically, but her movement was explained when she shoved him down on his back. "But," she started while she moved to straddle his hips. "I also want way more than that."

Hunter drummed his fingertips against her thighs lightly. "By all means, take what you want."

* * *

><p>If you're not dead from OTP feels, raise your hand. If you're dead, leave a review. LMAO<p> 


	10. Enough

We have a bit of drama, humor, fluff and squee! Enjoy and let me know how ya feel!

* * *

><p>Hunter sat down on a deserted bench at Greenwich Point Beach. He sighed heavily and tried to make himself comfortable. In reality, he was quite fucking uncomfortable. He did <em>not <em>want to be here.

Well, actually he loved this beach. He'd been here with Stephanie and/or the kids too many times to count. Even the one time he'd come to this beach with Howard had been enjoyable, barring the fact that he was having marital problems and his brother kept trying to get him to assist in talking to random, slutty women.

Actually, maybe that trip wasn't so damn enjoyable now that he was thinking about it.

"I knew you'd hit me up again."

Hunter spared Howard an annoyed glance as a greeting. Verbally, he remained silent and simply watched his twin plop down next to him.

"This seems a little bit sketchy. Like we're making a drug deal or something," the younger twin quipped.

Hunter shrugged. "I don't want you in my house and I don't feel like talking at a bar."

Howard tossed his head back and laughed loudly. "Oh, come on! Does it really have to be like that?"

"Unless you manage to show me you're _not _a shit-starting asshole with the hots for my woman, yes. You're damn right that's how it's gonna be."

With a roll of his eyes, Howard turned to stare out over the water. At this rate, the chances of them having at least a clean slate weren't great. Being on actual good terms seemed improbable. But perhaps not totally impossible. He just had a long way to go to get there.

"What?" Hunter asked. "No smart-ass reply?"

Howard looked at her brother fully. He shook his head a little bit and answered, "No. I deserve that."

With narrowed eyes, Hunter considered an appropriate response. This marked the first time that Howard had actually taken responsibility for anything that he'd done. To be honest, he hadn't even thought that it was possible. Surely, Howard's head was shoved so far up his ass that he couldn't even tell if it was day or night.

Perhaps he'd underestimated the guy a little. He still wasn't fond of him…but this was a start. Maybe. "So what your grand plan?"

"I want us to do a major road trip to find our parents."

"Wait, what?" Hunter asked. If that wasn't the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, he didn't know what was. Road trip? Why? He'd be damned if he got dragged all across the country stuck in the same vehicle as Howard. Judging by their history, he was almost certain to kill Howard.

Unfazed, Howard reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a wad of papers. Hunter pressed his fingers to his temples, already frustrated with this endeavor.

"I did some research, printed out the information for every Roy Helmsley and Stella Michaud in this country."

"How many are there?" Hunter asked. Maybe he'd finally lost his mind…because his interest was actually piqued for some reason.

"I only got 6 hits for Roy. 14 for Stella. That's just for 'Murica, though. Helmsley is technically an English last name."

"And Michaud?"

"French-Canadian," Howard told him with a small smirk. "The translation of that one has something to do with being drunk."

"You are your mother's son, whoever she is," Hunter deadpanned.

As much as he wanted to insult his brother right back, Howard refrained. The calmer and more peaceful things stayed, the sooner he would reach his goals. "What can I say? I'm a momma's boy."

"So, we've got 20 people total. Do any of these Stella and Roy's live together?"

"Nope."

Hunter shrugged. He had a feeling that would be the answer. From what studies suggested, it was rare that a loving, stable couple gave their kid up for adoption. If it turned out his parents had been and were still married, he'd probably have fainted from shock. "Wishful thinking."

"The Stella's are pretty much on the East coast and down south. The Roy's are Midwest and West coast. And keep in mind that's just what I pulled from the listings. I'm sure there's more that aren't listed.

"And you want to do a road trip to all these places?" Hunter asked for clarification.

Howard shrugged. "Yeah, we can start on the east, zip to the Midwest, down to the south and save the west coast for last. That's if we even need to hit all those places. If we find each parent earlier in the trip, we can stop."

"Howard," Hunter said slowly. "I'm not doing that shit."

"Why not?"

"You want us to drive for…basically _months_." It was a whole hell of a lot of work for possibly little benefit. And it would be more time-consuming than Hunter was willing to accept. He had a wife and kids who needed him at home, not joyriding across the country on what could be a wild goose chase. "I won't leave my family behind for that long."

"You're finding your parents, dude. I'm sure they'll understand."

Now, he was becoming agitated. Howard simply didn't seem to grasp the concept of family. Perhaps if Hunter was without responsibilities and didn't often want to strangle Howard, he'd be open to it. But that wasn't the case. He had a wife, kids and a job to do. He'd been fine taking an extended leave of absence to repair things with Stephanie a few years ago. He knew exactly what they were working towards and why. But this? If they even found their parents, the people might want nothing to do with them. "No, they won't! Even I won't understand why we'd go about this in the slowest way possible. I really don't think you've thought this through."

"Yes, I have and this is the best way!"

"How?"

"What, you want to take a plane to each city? We'd have to rent a car or take taxis everywhere, in addition to hotel fees and shit. We'd blow a ton of money."

Hunter nodded slowly. "Oh, I see. So you'd rather drive to 20 states, having to stop at a_ different _hotel each night, burning up tons of gas and putting a crazy amount of miles on one car. That makes perfect sense," he remarked sarcastically.

"It'll still come out to be cheaper. We don't need to stay in a damn resort. Just get some cheap shit."

"I'm not staying in a roach motel, Howard."

"Well excuse the hell out of me for not having extra money to flush down the toilet, like you!"

A frustrated sigh escaped Hunter. This wasn't going to become an argument over money. Especially not since Howard was talking out of his ass instead of presenting anything even remotely factual. "It's not even gonna be cheaper. Have you actually done the figures? Plotted a route? Figured out what hotels we'd stay at along the way? "

Howard bristled and ignored the burning sensation in his cheeks. "Uhh…"

Amused, Hunter shook his head. Jesus, what genes did Howard pick up from their parents? Clearly, being born first had given Hunter the advantage: he'd taken the brains for himself and left Howard with…whatever was in his head. "Have you even gone through your list of potentials and ruled out people who are too young or too old?"

"I – well, I thought we could do that as a team! Go team!" Howard chirped enthusiastically, giving his brother a good-natured punch on the arm.

"All right. So of the many reasons why a road trip is a terrible idea, the fact that I'm not positive you're mentally intact can be added to the list. I can't have you planning things."

Howard twisted his lips in consideration before he spoke. "As rude as that was, if that means you want to do the figuring and that other boring shit, fine. I still want to road trip it."

* * *

><p>Stephanie heard Hunter's truck entering the garage. Yet somehow, she barely had time to check on the food in the oven before the man was somehow in the kitchen.<p>

"Hey baby."

Stephanie's eyes softened with her concern for him. He didn't look happy or even neutral. Of course he was still ridiculously sexy…but she could tell that he was tired. Emotionally drained, to be more specific. And was it any little wonder? She knew perfectly well that he'd reached a decision about his parents. His choice hadn't come easy, especially when it involved reaching out to Howard on the matter. They'd met today after work and judging by his weary expression, he hadn't fancied the talk all that much. "Hey," she replied, reaching out to hold his hand. "How'd it go?"

Hunter glanced around the large space of their kitchen and peeked past her into the living and dining rooms. "Where are the kids?"

"Upstairs."

"Good. I'll try to make it quick. I don't want them to overhear."

"Okay." Stephanie leaned up and kissed him quickly. Mostly, she'd done that because he probably needed the affection. It was good to remind him that he had someone that truly loved him, with no ulterior motives or strings attached. Of course he already knew that…but particularly after what was likely a horrible, disappointing conversation with his twin, she just wanted to make that clear again.

"Basically, Howard wants to take a road trip to find our parents."

"You've found them already?" Stephanie asked, with a beaming smile. "Baby, that's great!"

"Ah, not exactly. Howard pulled up about 20 people in total, whose names match our birth parents."

"Okay, not so great."

"They all live in different states," he continued.

"Getting worse…"

"And both surnames originate in other countries. Plus, Howard only looked up those that were listed publicly. There may be more."

Stephanie's mouth was parted in slight confusion while she tried to process the absurdity. "What in – how the hell are you guys gonna take a road trip if you don't even know who you're going to see?"

Hunter took the wad of names and addresses out of his back pocket and tossed it to the kitchen table. "Idiot wants us to visit every potential in that."

"Didn't you say they all live in different states?"

"Uh huh."

"Okay…" she began, still a little baffled on the details and how a road trip was even a remote consideration. "Is it going to be multiple road trips?"

"Nope. One big ass trip across the entire country, pretty much."

"Oh." So, if Hunter agreed to Howard's plan, they'd be physically separated for who knows how long. She would never stand in the way or give him shit over something this huge. She'd just have to miss him terribly while he was gone and hope the trip was worth it in the end. Truthfully, she really did want Hunter to find some relatives. More variety and familial support was always a good thing. She'd love to see his excitement over finding a family member that wasn't an asshole.

"I'm not going," Hunter suddenly said.

Stephanie snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him. "What? But you told me you _wanted _to find your family."

Hunter reached out to run his finger down the dent in her chin. "I already have."

She cracked a genuine smile, but still said, "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I know. I also know I'm not okay with leaving you and the kids for who-the-fuck-knows- how long to run around searching for people I've lived almost 40 years without knowing."

"I'll be fine with the-"

"I know. I'm saying I won't be fine without them. Or you."

"Hunter," she said, placing both of her hands on his cheeks. "This won't be an actual separation. We can talk on the phone often, do the webcam thing like last time and-"

"Last time?" He questioned. "Last time fucking sucked! And that was just a couple of weeks. This could be months. I don't want to go," he added stubbornly and removed her hands from his face. "Why are you trying to talk me into it?" He questioned loudly.

"Because I love you!"

Stephanie's sudden outburst took them both aback. Hunter had no idea why that declaration upset her so much. And Stephanie, it seemed, could no longer deny her innermost feelings. They were terrible, insecure feelings that she always managed to talk herself out of. This time, it seemed that was not to be the case.

Hunter chewed his lip in silence and watched her compose herself for a few moments. "What was that?"

With her cheeks burning in embarrassment, she lowered her head and stared at the floor. "It's stupid."

Hunter grabbed her face in his hands and gently lifted until she was looking at him again. "If something is hurting you, I want – no, I _need _to know about it."

"I did this to myself, really," she uttered with a self-depreciating laugh.

"Don't care. Spill it."

Stephanie blew out a huge breath, resigning herself to the fate of sharing something even she hardly understood. It's just…she didn't like blurting out random emotions and feelings until she made sense of them. Often, she could put herself in check without Hunter's assistance. This one little thing was just as annoying as a gnat – no matter how much she swatted at it, it managed to pop back up when she least expected.

"I love you more than anything and I want you to be happy," she began.

Hunter drew his eyebrows together in confusion. "I am."

"There's a piece of your happiness puzzle missing, Hunter," she told him. "And no matter how much I want to give you that piece, I can't."

"You think my parents are that piece?"

"Parents, brother, cousins, uncles…" she said with a shrug. "Whatever family you could possibly find that isn't genetically tied to the McMahons."

"I don't hate your family, Steph. How could I? They made you, and we made our kids. That's at least two generations of McMahon DNA I adore."

Stephanie laughed and gave him a slight push. "What a dork. The thing is I know that your side of the family has always been a touchy issue. You haven't said it in these exact words, but I can see that you long to know who and where they are."

"You're right," he admitted without hesitation. This was a very serious conversation and there was no point in arguing with what she said. "Am I wrong for wanting that?"

"Of course not," she dissuaded. Really, she wanted to keep a lid on her emotions. They really were quite irrational. She knew that but still wasn't able to keep them at bay. Her eyes were tearing up…but this was Hunter here. He wanted her to be open, even if she didn't fully understand her own thoughts. It was a challenge, but she was trying her best. "I just…I think I'm starting to feel like you'll never be fulfilled until you solve the mystery. I want that for you; fulfillment. But recently…sometimes I get sad that I'm not enough."

"Stephanie-"

"No," she interrupted. "I know it's ridiculous and selfish-"

"You're far from selfish and it's only ridiculous that you could ever think you're not enough for me. You're so much that I don't even know what to do with you half of the time."

"You've given me everything I could possibly want, Hunter. I feel like a failure because I can't do the same for you."

"That makes no sense. My family stuff isn't your fault."

No, whatever was going on with his parents wasn't her fault. In fact, that all happened before she was even born. "I keep thinking if all that shit with Howard hadn't happened last year, you'd have him as a real brother, maybe. But that's ruined, largely because of me. I stole your chance at being completely happy. If you go on this road trip and find family, everything is better."

"Stephanie, shut up."

Her draw dropped in shock, but Hunter decided to speak before she came up with a response.

"Howard is a complete dick. He always has been; I was just in denial because I wanted that connection so badly. Eventually he'd have done something else to piss me off. And it wasn't your fault that he impersonated me to make a pass at you."

"It means a lot that you're saying this."

"Good. Because I wouldn't say it if I wasn't serious. You're enough, Steph…even if I don't find more relatives. I can do without having them in my life. Not having you isn't an option for me. You _are_ my life."

Stephanie nodded and blew out a heavy breath. "It's worth the risk, but love is scary," she pointed out mildly.

Hunter laughed and rubbed her arms soothingly. "Finally you say something in this conversation that I agree with. Now that you're saying what's on your mind instead of trying to talk yourself out of your feelings…would you really be okay with it if I was gone for months on a road trip with Howard?"

Her shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. "I'd just have to find a way to deal. I promise I wouldn't resent you."

"Would you miss me?" He asked, pulling her into his arms.

"A lot," she muttered into his neck. "And that's an understatement."

"Same here. Howard is set on his stupid idea even though I pointed out a bunch of reasons why that's not the best way."

Stephanie pulled back some, so that she could look at her husband. "So what are you gonna do?"

"I want to split the trips up so I can be home a lot more. And I'd really prefer to fly and just rent a car if needed."

"That plan sounds way better. And I'm not just saying that because I want you home for love purposes."

The vibration of his laugh made her smile. "If Howard isn't willing to budge at all, I'm not going. Fuck him. We can search separately for all I care. Maybe you can be my travel buddy. God knows I enjoy your company a lot more."

Stephanie leaned up and kissed him on the mouth briefly. "Plus we get to have sex," she whispered against his lips.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," he told her playfully.

"It lives there. But seriously, I'll support whatever you want to do. It would be nice and more appropriate if you two could find your parents as brothers, though."

"But if I need you, you'll come?"

"Always."

Hunter pecked her on the lips one last time before letting her go. They both heard the sound of stampeding water buffalo. Otherwise known as their three children running down the staircase.

Jackson was the first to reach the landing and spot his parents. "Dad!"

"Hey kid!" Hunter greeted as the little boy ran up to give him a hug.

"Daddy's home?" Karmina asked.

"Daddy!" Kaycee practically shouted as she spotted him.

Hunter's face lit up as the twins attached themselves to his legs. To be honest, only four people existed on this planet that could melt his heart. Three of them were presently attached to him. The fourth was standing nearby, looking on with an expression that was filled with love.

Other than the alone time she got with her husband, seeing him with their kids was Stephanie's favorite part of the day. Hunter extended an arm, inviting her to join in the group hug. But before she could make a move in their direction, Jackson asked, "Is something burning?"

"Shit," Stephanie breathed out. She'd completely forgotten about the chicken she was baking. Quickly, she spun on her heels and raced over to the oven. She already knew it was too late…but she confirmed that based on the smoke that seeped through the door and the charred remains of the poultry.

"Mommy burned dinner," Kaycee giggled.

"Mommy said a bad word," Karmina noticed.

Stephanie turned to her family with a sheepish expression. Even Hunter was fighting to hide his amusement. Probably because he realized it was partially his fault she'd forgotten the food.

"It's okay, honey. We can always go out for dinner," he suggested, lips twitching as he tried not to laugh at her.

* * *

><p>So...who was excited at the possibility of a twin road trip? Anybody surprised at Howard's idiocy? LOL<p> 


	11. Bother

This update comes from Nicol's request. Happy birthday, lady!

Shedding some light on the Howard situation here. Prior to this chapter I was dropping little hints here and there. Usually no more than a paragraph regarding his intentions or thoughts. But in this chapter, I'm laying it all out. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

><p>Howard groaned and rolled onto his stomach. He pushed up to his knees, twisting his mouth around before finally spitting out the blood that had accumulated.<p>

He wanted to punch this man – Vito – in the face. But he'd realized that the fucking mafia were like ants; if one member was around there were surely more nearby. If he got out of line, a worse beating would surely result.

"Stay down!" The thick, Brooklyn accent informed him harshly.

Howard stayed put, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he forced himself not to mouth off.

"The boss is growing impatient."

Howard kept his gaze steady on the man before him. He was tall, perhaps an inch above Howard's own height. He was heavier, but not actually more muscular. He was clean shaven but even that could not give this man a baby face. Not with all the scars and hardness that had built up over his many years of service in the mafia. "He'll have his money. I've been making payments-"

"Supposed to have been paid off by now. That was the agreement, Helmsley."

"I know!" Howard said quickly, holding his hands up in apology. "Business hasn't been so good, but I've been paying what I can. Show your boss good faith."

"Boss would rather you show him the cash."

"I'm working on it. He'll have it all. Real soon."

Vito crouched down to Howard's level and slapped him on the back good-naturedly. He flashed a devilish grin and said, "Boss is giving you a chance. He likes you. If and when he stops liking you I'll be waiting."

Another pat on the back served as both a warning and a farewell from Vito to Howard. The blonde watched as the gangster straightened out his suit jacket and slithered over and into his sports car. He waited until the man had driven off and around the corner before he dared to get up.

Dusting himself off with a shake of his head, he considered. The boss never had said exactly how much time he had left. But given that this was the second time he'd been roughed up in two months, he was willing to bet that he hadn't much left.

To be honest, he hadn't expected things to go down this way. Not at all. First, he hadn't anticipated the steep drop in revenue after the "New Year's Resolution" gym-goers began to renege on their workout plans. That hurt his pockets deeply, as did his fancy competitor just a few blocks away. Surprisingly, the boss understood and as long as Howard continued to make payments towards his loan, no harm would come to him. But as his earnings dwindled, so did the amount Howard was able to pay. His next plan had seemed simple when he'd thought of it: make use of the fact he had rich people in his family.

Howard wasn't a total idiot; he knew he couldn't just show up and ask Hunter for thirty grand. Not when they'd left off on such poor terms. Showing up at his brother's house was supposed to reconcile that…but instead they'd ended up in yet another fight. Was there really any other outcome given that the first person he encountered was Stephanie? After all, their last fight had indeed been over the woman.

His pride still stung at the fact that she rejected him…she'd been content enough with her dancing and kissing and whatnot right up until she was made aware that he wasn't Hunter. His thinking hadn't and probably still wasn't totally clear. His focus was on the fact that yet another person had chosen _Hunter _over him. The fact that they were married held no importance to him.

After her initial rejection, it seemed his luck with women in general had suffered. His pickings had slimmed because he felt so very off his game. Naturally, when he saw Stephanie again he was inclined to take at least a small pass at her. Heal his pride and maybe have the tide turn in the dating department. Not only did she not bite, but he ended up in a complete brawl on top of that. Winning said brawl may have made him feel better, but at best he'd simply tied with his brother.

And then…she – the woman who'd scorned him and doomed his luck in getting laid – tended to his brother like he was the king of fucking England or something. Stephanie's displays of affection made him envious…because he knew what it was like to have some, but not all of it. Call him a terrible person, but he was incredibly curious about what all Stephanie was capable of. It must be a hell of a lot, for Hunter to go from being ready to strangle him to death to actually tolerating him solely because of a kiss and a promise for more. It made Howard sick to his stomach that Hunter got every fucking thing he wanted. It just wasn't fair.

Of course, he'd have to downplay that to get what he needed. He'd have to suppress his disgust, jealousy and outrage long enough for the two of them to bond. More accurately, for Hunter to care about him long enough to fork over the cash. That was taking longer than he'd anticipated because his actual feelings showed through too much. It made him wonder if his initial idea of blackmail had been much better.

This…practically _royal _family had done a very good job at avoiding scandals. The last time they made headlines was when his sister-in-law's ex decided to nab the oldest kid. Since then, there'd be an article here and there: Hunter retiring, twins being born, job promotions and the like. Going to the tabloids with Hunter's backstory was an easy route to some quick cash, for sure. But he was willing to bet Hunter and Stephanie would pay much more to shut him up.

That was the aggressive and direct route. Given the information and footage he'd turned up of the couple over the years, he was well aware that the route would also guarantee some form of retaliation. The roundabout way was safer, but more work and more time. And with Stephanie having no love lost for him, getting her away from Hunter was paramount. A super long road trip would have accomplished this easily but Hunter seemed to be having none of it.

With another face-bashing session having taking place, Howard was getting desperate. He got into his car and pulled his cell phone from the glove box.

Across the state line, Stephanie jumped a little bit. She lifted her head and was clearly disoriented. Beneath her, she felt and heard Hunter's laughter which served to ground her again.

"It's just my phone," he said.

Stephanie yawned and stretched her arms above her head. Apparently she'd managed to fall asleep cuddled up to him on the chaise lounge in their room. She glanced at the cable box, noting that it was barely past ten. Huh. Normally she didn't conk out this early and certainly not when she was enjoying some alone time with the hubby. The last thing she remembered was him browsing through the offerings on Netflix. She probably hadn't even stayed awake long enough to see him even decide on a movie.

Hunter used one hand to snatch his phone from the table beside them. The other hand found its way into her hair. A content sigh left her and she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck again. If the man wasn't careful, he was going to send her right back to sleep.

"Yeah?" He answered, without bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hey Hunter," Howard greeted politely. Although it was his nature to do so, he didn't think wisecracks would go over very well.

"What do you want? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Hunter asked.

Howard's eyebrows drew together in actual confusion. "It's only ten…"

"Only ten," Hunter muttered, despite the fact that he and his wife were generally up at least until midnight. "You woke Stephanie up."

Howard sighed. Of course he did. Because his luck was complete shit thanks to that very person. "Tell her I'm sorry. I'll make this quick, though. I want to find our parents and I don't want to do it without you. Regardless of our differences, you're my flesh and blood. My twin. We should do this together."

"I've got no problem with that. But I'm not leaving my wife and kids behind for what could end up being months. Especially not to be on some road trip with you; we don't even get along."

"I don't have the kind of dough that'll let me travel fancy. So what do you suggest?"

"We plan the shit out so we can hit a few potentials in one trip. What I'm thinking is that maybe I'll donate some of my frequent flyer miles to bring down your cost and cover rental cars and/or cabs. You'd be on your own for the hotels."

"Why can't I just stay with you?"

"I want my privacy to have phone sex," Hunter quipped.

Howard groaned. "T.M.I."

Even though she was halfway asleep again, Stephanie heard that loud and clear. She snorted out her laughter and sat up, shaking her head at Hunter. He winked and Stephanie laughed again, kissing him on the lips quickly before she slid off of the chair. She padded over to the bed barefoot and climbed in.

The only person he was willing to occupy the same room as, was Stephanie. Or the kids, depending on the situation. Sharing a room with Howard was too much like the beginning days of his wrestling career. "Seriously, though. I haven't had to share a room for nearly ten years, man. You said you don't care what hotel you're in…and I _do _care. So I say we're on our own."

"Fine," Howard relented. He was hoping for a free stay in a nice hotel. Any expense Hunter was willing to cover took a tremendous burden off his shoulders. Howard was certain he could find some dirt cheap motels near the places Hunter would stay at, though. Despite the fact Hunter wasn't doing _all _he could, Howard still needed to suck up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hunter said almost as a reflex. An awkward silence descended on the phone in the next few seconds. Hunter rubbed at his beard thoughtfully. He really didn't have anything else to say to Howard. Plus, he needed to make sure Stephanie was okay with the money he intended to spend…since they had joint accounts and all. "Look, I need to do some thinking and planning. We can talk about this tomorrow."

"Okay. Sounds good."

"Cool," Hunter said. He still wasn't sure how to end this conversation without being totally rude or overly nice. This was a fairly new problem, as he generally only talked on the phone with people he was close to or for business purposes. "Uh, later."

"Later."

Hunter ended the call and returned the phone to the table. He stood up and loosened the tie from his hair, flinging the black band onto the table. With some unease, he ran his hands through his golden locks.

"I take it that was Howard," Stephanie said from the bed.

Hunter turned in her direction, surprised that she was even still up. What's more is that she seemed to be wide-awake. Maybe her little nap had given her a second wind. "Yeah. Mostly he's given up on the road trip thing," he said easily as he walked towards the bed and sat down. "But I thought before I go promising to pick up certain tabs, we should talk about it."

Stephanie pushed herself up to a sitting position. "Okay."

"Would you be fine with me using our miles and covering ground transpo to help him out?"

"Yeah. Seems pretty fair," she said with a nonchalant shrug.

Hunter frowned a little bit. "That was easy." Not that he'd been expecting her to make it difficult. He just figured it'd be an actual back and forth conversation offering alternatives or something.

Stephanie grinned and danced her fingers across his stubbly cheek. "If it has you home more often I'm all for it."

Hunter turned his head a fraction, catching one of her fingers between his lips playfully. "For the fun states you should join me, babe."

"But then you won't have the excuse of phone sex to warrant having your own room."

He leaned closer to her, wiggling his blonde eyebrows up and down suggestively. "Sex-sex can be my excuse."

Stephanie laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck right as their lips met in a kiss. Considering their tendencies, the contact stayed pretty innocent…with their tongues simply massaging one another's instead of outright dueling.

"Did you like that?" Hunter asked as they pulled apart.

A bright, toothy grin was her immediate reply. "I did."

"You can have as many of those as you want, plus more if you come along."

Stephanie guffawed. "Please! It's not like you hold out on me, ever."

"True," Hunter admitted without reservation. It wasn't a secret that he had sticky fingers and lips when it came to Stephanie. He was constantly stealing touches and kisses. Then again, she did the same and was a perfectly willing participant so maybe it wasn't stealing exactly.

Despite the lighthearted nature of the conversation, she did have something a bit more serious to say. Letting it out now was better. If she waited, Hunter probably wouldn't be very pleased with her for stewing and bottling her feelings up. "You know…I really don't want to make things more awkward during this…search."

"You won't," he disagreed, furrowing his brow in confusion. "If anything you'll make the trip more enjoyable."

Howard didn't like Stephanie and she could honestly say that she reciprocated. What his actual problem was, she had no idea. All she knew was that she disliked his lack of respect for Hunter's marriage to her. Plus, he was an asshole more often than not and always managed to upset her husband greatly. "More enjoyable for whom?" She asked in all seriousness.

"Me. Who gives a fuck about Howard?"

With a sigh, Stephanie decided to elaborate. "It's just - things are already weird. I don't want to make it worse, when you'll still have to continue on more trips with him. And what if the inevitable drama causes problems with us?"

Hazel eyes softened. Steph was fearful that Howard's presence would have them fighting like cats and dogs again. That simply wasn't going to happen. Their relationship was in a much different, healthier place than it had been last year. Hell, possibly than it had been _ever_. But he couldn't blame her for being nervous about taking the chance. Especially not when Howard's most recent appearance at their house proved that he was still a total dick. "Steph, you know that the way I acted towards you had to do with shit way deeper than Howard."

"I know." And she did. Howard's presence was simply convenient for Hunter's frustrations. Instead of looking within himself to find the root of his problems with her, he'd allowed Howard to poke holes in their seemingly flawless marriage. It was more convenient to be mad at her over things that Howard pointed out than it was to admit that he truly questioned the depth of her feelings. Once he was totally honest with her, Stephanie did what she needed to clear that right up.

"Okay. We've aired all that out. It doesn't matter what Howard says, does or feels…it won't mess with our relationship. I need you to trust me on that."

"Baby, I trust you," she reassured him. "It's your asshole twin I don't trust."

"You have every reason not to," Even with Howard's apology he still didn't believe he was truly sorry for the things he tried with Stephanie. Sorry that he was caught and had his ass handed to him twice, maybe. But Hunter remained unconvinced that Howard really understood why his behavior warranted a beating in the first place. He didn't understand or care about love. Therefore he failed to understand the sheer amount of rage Hunter felt at another man having the audacity to make lewd comments and attempt to touch his wife intimately. "If you get even a hint that Howard's pulling something, tell me. That's all. I want to find my parents, but I also want to spend some time with you."

Well, she felt the heat rising to her cheeks in what could only be a blush. She seriously didn't know how she got this lucky – she had a gorgeous man that adored her. He actually enjoyed having her around. She felt deep sympathy for some of the friends she had in her youth. Most of them had settled down with men who'd rather have a root canal than hang out with their wives if they had the chance to be apart.

But it was also a testament for how well Stephanie was doing at being a good wife. The fact that her husband didn't consider her to be a pain in the ass meant she was getting something right.

Still, having him pay her the somewhat indirect compliment made her flustered and giddy. She reveled in this feeling and was committed to doing her part to make sure they stayed pathetically in love, forever. "I want that, too. If I get weird vibes I'll let you know."


End file.
